Color of Your Soul
by EtherealMay
Summary: Two opposite yet similar souls. Black and White. Only when they have each other, will they be able to grow. MukuroXOC. HibariXOC. My first fic so please brace yourself for the horror!
1. Visitor From the Sky

A/N: Hello, all! This is going to be my first long fanfiction, and I'm writing it for KHR! I'm so excited! Basically this story is going start around some time before Tsuna first meets Dino. I know, that's quite early! But I hope people will like it.

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 1: Visitor from the Sky**

_"...We will be landing in Narita Airport in 10 minutes. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelt..."_

"Excuse me, miss?"

The stewardess shook the young girl's shoulders lightly to wake her up. She had wondered how her parents could be not worried for such a young daughter to be flying internationally by herself. But the stewardess thought the young girl stranger than any customer she has come across. For the whole 11 hours of the flight from Sicily to Tokyo, the girl had not woken up. she had been sleeping since she sat down on her seat, and her seatbelt was still fastened the way it was in the beginning. The stewardess had passed her by several times during meal times, and yet the girl had barely shifted. And there was only once, that the girl seemed to have murmured a foreign name in her sleep.

"Sawa... Tsu... Yoshi..."

The stewardess frowned. The girl was in a deeper sleep than she'd imagined. So she shook a little harder.

"Miss, please wake up!"

And then, the girl stirred this time. Her eyes began to open, and she reached her hand up to her face, removing long strands of black hair from her face. She looked at the stewardess briefly and looked outside the window.

"Are we landing soon?" she asked; her voice hoarse from dehydration.

"Yes," the stewardess said quickly, and scurried toward her own seat to prepare for the landing. But just before she was out of hearing distance of the young girl, she caught the latter's very soft murmur. And for no particular reason, she looked back at the young girl just once more before leaving.

"The sky here... is golden..."

There was a strange light shining out from the girl's dull, black eyes. They were bleak, yet they had strong waves hidden behind the walls.

* * *

Tsuna woke up in the morning with severe pain everywhere on his body. Ever since the devilish home tutor with a deceiving baby's appearance, Reborn, appeared in his life, everyday he would encounter several outrageous events. Not to mention the increased family members he has to deal with at home now. Honestly, who gave those people permission to stay in his house, anyway? But since Mama seems to be happier with more people at home, he won't complain much about that. The most ridiculous thing is that no matter how many times he's refused to become the tenth leader of Vongola, Reborn would always ignore him and force him into situations that make him unable to object.

_And to think that I've ran around Namimori with just boxers on so many times_. Tsuna sighed at the thought as he walked toward Namimori Middle School.

"Juudaime! Good Morning!"

"Yo! Tsuna!"

Two familiar voices called out to Tsuna and the young mafioso looked up to see Yamamoto Takeshi and Gokudera Hayato. A smile crept up to his lips as he waved to his two new friends. It's times like this when he forgets about Reborn's arduous trainings. Tsuna was happy to have these friends, even though they may be quite dangerous sometimes. If it weren't for Reborn, he would probably still be alone on his walks to school, his lunch breaks, and his way back home. There's not a moment that Tsuna doesn't appreciate these friends who accept him for being "Dame-Tsuna."

Suddenly a strange sound interrupted the Tsuna's thought. He sensed something bad coming as the sound's origin increased in speed and came closer to them.

"That… that sound," Tsuna spoke his thoughts aloud, "sounds like… a horse…"

"Ju—Juudaime! Watch out!" Gokudera shouted as a horse charged toward them at full speed.

"Heeee! Why is there a horse on the street?" Tsuna stepped back against the wall.

"Hahaha! How exciting!" Yamamoto laughed as usual, completely unaware to the situation.

The three boys watched in silence as the horse galloped past them. For a few moments Tsuna felt weak in the knees, and so did Gokudera. Before Tsuna can figure out what happened, Reborn appeared behind them.

"Ciaossu!"

Tsuna jumped at Reborn's sudden appearance, "Reborn! Don't scare me like that!"

"Shut up, Dame-Tsuna!" Reborn kicked Tsuna in the back of the head, "You've got a visitor!"

"A visitor?" Tsuna followed Reborn's gaze upwards and so did the other two boys. Their jaws dropped as they see a teenage girl free-drop from the sky with her arms wide open. Before Tsuna could react, the girl collided with him, causing him to fall backwards and making a big crack in the ground.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera shouted worriedly, running to Tsuna for assistance, "Oi, woman! How dare you…"

Before Gokudera could finish his sentence, the girl stood up and approached Yamamoto. Yamamoto held an awkward smile, not knowing who the girl is.

"Vongola Juudaime," the girl spoke softly as she made what seemed like a bowing gesture.

"Ehh?" Yamamoto was taken by surprise.

"Stupid woman! You got the wrong person!" Gokudera shouted angrily.

The girl turned to stare at Gokudera for quite a while, then said, "…I know that. I was just testing you."

"Wha…what a lame excuse!" Tsuna exclaimed in his head, and Gokudera seemed to think the same thing.

The girl knelt down in front of Tsuna and said, "Hi, you must be the tenth Vongola leader, Sawada Tsunayoshi."

"I…I'm not a mafia leader!" Tsuna denied for the hundredth time.

"You're not?" the girl raised an eyebrow, "as I thought… why would the Vongola Juudaime be such a scrawny boy…"

"What did you say, woman?" Gokudera asked angrily, hearing his beloved Juudaime being insulted.

"Barbarian," the girl turned to face Gokudera, "you've been yapping nonstop ever since I came here, can't you be quiet?"

"Ba…barbarian?"

"Ciaossu." Reborn jumped in between the girl and Gokudera. There was realization in the girl's eyes.

"Reborn!"

"Ehh?" Tsuna exclaimed, "You know Reborn?"

"Of course! Reborn is very famous, you know?"

"Mikami," Reborn said, "this Dame-Tsuna here is really the tenth of Vongola."

"Really?" the girl said while turning toward Tsuna again, and smiled, "Sorry for the comment earlier, Juudaime, my name is Mikami Yotsuba. Pleasure to meet you!"

It was a very bight smile; so bright that it felt a bit superficial. The boys all fell silent for a minute. Something seems a bit strange about this girl. Although Tsuna knew how rude it is to judge someone that he'd barely met, he couldn't help but bash about her quick change of attitude. He didn't know whether she was acting or not.

"Um…" Tsuna was at loss with words, "You can just call me Tsuna…"

"Oh, thank you, Tsuna!" Yotsuba said sweetly, "You can call me Yotsuba too! Or Yocchan, or if you want to, Princess Yotsuba is fine too!"

Tsuna sweat-dropped, "O…Okay… Yotsuba-chan…"

"Are we all introducing ourselves?" Yamamoto joined in, "I'm Yamamoto Takeshi!"

Yotsuba smiled at Yamamoto, "Nice to meet you, Takeshi!"

"Eh?" Yamamoto looked surprised but laughed a second later, "Ahaha! No one other than my dad has ever called me that before!"

"Hmph!" Gokudera glared at Yotsuba, "why should I give you my name? We don't even know what you're here for! Falling from the sky like that… I say you're suspicious!"

"Ah, that's okay," Yotsuba said nonchalantly, "I'm only interested in meeting Tsuna-kun, anyway!"

"You…!" Gokudera fumed and Tsuna tried to stop Gokudera from lighting his bombs.

"Yotsuba is a very skilled spy in the Vongola family," Reborn said as he jumped onto Yamamoto's shoulder, "She is of great importance to Vongola!"

"What? She is?" both Gokudera and Tsuna were shocked. They turned their attention to the sleepy-eyed girl, who didn't look very strong at all.

"Yotsuba," Reborn addressed her, "all of these guys here are Tsuna's family!"

"Really?" Yotsuba gasped and turned to look at Gokudera, "what did you say your name was again, barbarian?"

"I NEVER TOLD YOU MY NAME, YOU IDIOT!"

"Maa, don't get so worked-up, Gokudera!" Yamamoto laughed.

"Yeah, Gokudera, why are you so worked-up?" Yotsuba scooted to Yamamoto's side.

"…"

_Was that an illusion, or did I just see two baseball idiots?_

"Don't judge Yotsuba by your first impression. There's hardly anyone that can replace her in spying missions," Reborn said as he jumped down in front of Yotsuba, "Saa, Yotsuba, tell us what you're here for!"

"Oh, that's right," Yotsuba said as she looked at Tsuna, "But it's a long story, so, by all means, let's all talk about it in Tsuna's house!"

"DON'T INVITE YOURSELF INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME!" both Tsuna and Gokudera exclaimed.

"Hahaha, are we talking about the mafia game again?"

"Being in the mafia sure is fun, ne?"

"…"

There it is again… two baseball idiots…

Suddenly a bell rang in the distance, capturing all of their attention. Tsuna panicked.

"AHHHH! WE'RE LATE!"

The three boys ran at full speed toward Namimori Middle School. Yotsuba stood in place next to Reborn.

"Where are they off to?"

"School," Reborn said, "one of Tsuna's potential Family member is the chairman of the Disciplinary Committee at Namimori Middle School. He has a hobby of biting people to death when they break school rules-such as being tardy."

"Eh?" Yotsuba tried to picture the thought, "that's kind of weird… Maybe I'll go check it out."

Reborn smirked, "you still like to act dumb, Yotsuba!"

"I learned it all from you, Reborn," Yotsuba returned the smirk, and stared at Tsuna's slim back as the boy ran into the distance. "So that's the boy whom Ninth favors... he doesn't look like much, but... he has good eyes..."

* * *

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were relieved as they reached their classroom. It seems like Hibari wasn't waiting at the gate today. Though the teacher scolded them, it was a lot better than getting beaten up by Hibari's tonfa. The teacher cleared his throat, but before he could start teaching, the classroom's door was slid open. Tsuna gaped as he saw Mikami Yotsuba wobble in with dragging feet.

"Who are you?" the teacher asked.

"I am the transfer student!" Yotsuba replied simply.

"Transfer student?" the teacher repeated, "I was never informed about this."

"Of course not," Yotsuba said in her sleepy voice, "I just bought myself into this school a couple of minutes ago!"

Everyone in the classroom except Yamamoto and Kyoko seemed to slump in their chairs and wore sweat drops on their heads.

Ignoring the teacher's disbelieving gaze, Yotsuba turned around to face the classroom, "Hello, everyone! My name is Mikami Yotsuba. Please just call me Yotsuba, Yocchan, or Princess Yotsuba!"

_What is she doing here?_ Tsuna exclaimed in his head. He felt it very strongly in his heart, that his life was about to get a lot worse with this girl's presence.

The teacher seemed to regain his composure after a while, "Well then, Mikami-kun, will you go sit…"

Yotsuba ignored the teacher again and walked elegantly to the seat next to Tsuna. Yotsuba smiled sweetly at the boy sitting in that seat, "would you mind giving this seat to me?"

"But… I…" the boy looked uneasy.

"Listen," Yotsuba bent down to whisper in the boy's ear, "see that girl sitting by herself in the back there? Don't you think she's cute?"

"Um… I guess so?"

"Well," Yotsuba smiled, "I'm sure you'd rather sit next to that cute girl instead of being surrounded by Tsuna-kun, Takeshi-kun, and barbarian-kun here!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING BARBARIAN?" Gokudera stood up and kicked down his chair in rage. The boy was startled and grabbed his stuff and quickly left the danger zone to the empty seat in the back. Yotsuba smiled satisfyingly.

"Well, this is going to be fun, ne! Tsuna-kun!" Yotsuba said as she sat down in the seat.

"Ahaha… yeah…" Tsuna laughed dryly, "by the way, Yotsuba-chan… what was that horse about today?"

"Horse?" Yotsuba said, "Oh, that! I was just trying to make a big entrance, so I let that horse run across the street to divert your attention. Then I jumped from a helicopter, but it seems like I forgot the parachute!"

"Ah… is that... so…" Tsuna said weakly. _Great. One more abnormal character added to his life._

* * *

TBC.

A/N: I hope everyone liked this chapter! I hope it's not too short. Please review!


	2. Reason Why I'm Here

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 2: Reason Why I'm Here**

"_If you feel like crying, don't force yourself to smile"_

_Sorry for pretending to be strong yesterday_

_When I knew how sweet you were being_

* * *

Only a quarter of the day has passed and Tsuna was already sensing the rising tension in the classroom. Tsuna looked at Yotsuba from the corner of his eyes and saw the girl sleeping with a pool of saliva on her book. Scratch that, it was Gokudera's book. When the teacher was ready to begin teaching, he noticed that Yotsuba didn't have any textbooks, so he told Gokudera to share it with Yotsuba.

"Saa, barbarian-kun, let's share the book!" Yotsuba said to Gokudera, who shot a death glare at her.

"Stop calling me barbarian!"

Yotsuba held her chin high, "Okay, then, Hayato-kun, let's share the book!"

"How do you know my name?" Gokudera growled, "I knew you were up to no good!"

Yotsuba suddenly scooted closer to Gokudera and her face was only a few inches away from Gokudera's. Both Gokudera and Tsuna blushed. Yotsuba smiled sweetly at Gokudera, "Don't be shy, Hayato-kun! I came from Italy. Who _doesn't_ know about Smoking Bomb Gokudera Hayato and his sister Scorpion Bianchi? Of course, someone like you wouldn't know about someone as high in status as me!"

"...Che! I'll let you know what high status means once I become Juudaime's right-hand man!" Gokudera scooted back to create distance between him and the newcomer. It was insulting to him, really, because he had to admit secretly that nobody actually approved of his strength back in Italy. What with being so young and having a sister and father like that to cover him with a shadow. He didn't like this apparent "top spy" girl of Vongola. There must've been some favoritism going on in this. Making a "tsk" noise in his mouth, Gokudera threw the textbook on Yotsuba's table. Gokudera made a face that said "take it, I don't need it!" Yotsuba's smile dropped, clearly bothered by Gokudera's rudeness. Slamming the book straight on her desk, Yotsuba put her head down and started sleeping, mouth slightly open.

Everyone in the classroom was watching Yotsuba now, making a pond with her faucet mouth. Gokudera was shaking with anger. So was the teacher, but the teacher didn't dare say anything because who knows what an angry Gokudera might do if he tried to interrupt.

"This damn woman…" Gokudera said dangerously, "I bet she's not even sleeping! She's doing this on purpose!"

"Heeee! Calm down, Gokudera-kun! This is still the classroom!" Tsuna said, frantically trying to wake Yotsuba up.

Yotsuba groaned as she woke up, "… Man, you guys sure are noisy!"

"YOU WEREN'T EVEN SLEEPING, STUPID WOMAN!" Gokudera stood in rage, lighting his bombs.

"Wahhhh! Stop, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cried.

"Gokudera-kun! Please sit down, we're trying to have class!" the teacher said bravely, earning a thankful smile from Tsuna.

"Yeah, Hayato-kun, you need to be quiet!"

"You too, Mikami-kun! Pay attention to class!"

Yotsuba made a reluctant face and looked down at Gokudera's book. "WHOA! Did it rain in here?"

Everyone in class fell backwards in their chairs except for the naïve Yamamoto and Kyoko. Gokudera and Tsuna were having such a big headache that they couldn't even say "_THIS IS INDOORS_!" Suddenly Yotsuba stood up, and walked toward the classroom's door.

"Where do you think you're going, Mikami-kun?" the teacher asked angrily.

Yotsuba answered slowly and sleepily, "I'm going to the infirmary; I think I caught a cold from the rain…"

Yotsuba left the classroom before the teacher could stand back up from his fall.

* * *

Before Yotsuba went to the infirmary, she took a little tour of the school. _This school is quite small, but the uniform is cute, though_, she thought as she walked slower and slower. Sighing as she stood in front of the door of the infirmary, she slid the door open hesitantly.

"Yocchan! You came to see me? Give me a mouth-mouth!" Dr. Shamal glomped Yotsuba, making her fall backwards. Yotsuba glared at Dr. Shamal and said through gritted teeth, "get off me, Shamal."

"Oh?" Shamal raised an eyebrow, interested in Yotsuba's reaction, "That's rare! You didn't punch me today. Too tired?"

"Yeah. Let me sleep in here for a while," Yotsuba said, taking Shamal's helping hand.

"That's strange… you have a weak body, but usually you can keep yourself awake for at least 9 hours…"

"Yeah, but jumping down from that helicopter was more tiring than I thought," Yotsuba smiled tiredly and collapsed onto the white bed, "Wake me up when it's lunch time. I still have to tell Vongola why I'm here."

"Aren't you afraid that I might do something to you when you're sleeping?"

"…"

"Dead-asleep…" Shamal chuckled, "what a troublesome child."

The doctor opened and closed the door to the infirmary quietly. He was too used to the girl's selfish ways; anyone who'd worked for Vongola as long as him knew how spoiled Yotsuba actually is. But there is personality that comes out from her very rarely, when she is serious, that people could accept. And that, Shamal thought, hasn't happened in several years. But he knew that these peaceful days won't last for very long starting now.

* * *

Finally it was noon. Tsuna and his friends gathered up at the rooftop as usual to eat lunch. Although Tsuna was somewhat distressed by the appearance of Mikami Yotsuba, he couldn't help worry about the girl. What if she got lost on her way to the infirmary and went in the reception room instead? And she wasn't wearing a Namimori uniform, so she'd definitely get "bitten to death" by Hibari! All of his worries were written on his face, and his friends noticed.

"Juudaime, are you worried about that stupid woman?" Gokudera asked.

"Eh?" Tsuna snapped out of his trance.

"Hahaha, don't worry, Tsuna!" Yamamoto laughed and patted Tsuna on the shoulder, "That Mikami should be fine! Didn't the little kid say that she's smart?"

"You're right, but Hibari-san is still dangero…"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Yotsuba's voice was heard from behind them. The three boys turned their heads toward her voice and found her standing on top of the fence. She was wearing the Namimori uniform, too, except she was wearing her shorts instead of the skirt. She jumped down in front of as Tsuna was shouting "How did you get up there? It's dangerous up there!"

Yotsuba straightened up her uniform and sat down in front of the group, "I've learned quite a few things from Reborn, you know!"

"Ciaossu!" Speaking of the devil, Reborn popped out from under the roof.

"Gahhh! Reborn! Just how many secret pathways do you have?" Tsuna stumbled backwards at Reborn's entrance. After calming his heartbeat, Tsuna turned back his attention to Yotsuba, "Yotsuba-chan, where were you all this time?"

Yotsuba said sleepily, "I was in the infirmary. Sleeping. I was born with a sleeping disease, so I need at least 15 hours of sleeping each day and more if I participated in anything that requires a lot of energy."

"Re…really?" Tsuna suddenly felt bad for the girl. _No wonder her eyes always look so sleepy!_ "Wha…what happens if you don't get enough sleep?"

"I would die."

"EHHHHH?" the boys exclaimed simultaneously.

"Just kidding," Yotsuba stuck out her tongue, making the three boys fall, "honestly, I don't know what would happen to me. I tried experimenting, though. Once I tried to sleep for only 8 hours like normal people, but when I woke up I started vomiting so much that I had to be sent to the hospital. Another time I forced myself to pull an all-nighter with movies, and then the next day I got a fever that lasted 3 weeks. But that's about all, though, because I tried to stay up even longer to see what happens and my body just gave out and I slept for 4 days straight."

"But Mikami still manages to be a good spy," Reborn said, "Mikami, I think it's about time you tell us what you're here for!"

The boys all leaned in to hear Yotsuba's reason. Yotsuba cleared her throat, "well, to make the long story short, I ran away from the Vongola headquarters…"

Before Yotsuba could finish her sentence, Gokudera shouted, "I KNEW IT! You're a traitor and now you're here to assassinate Juudaime!"

"With you throwing your bombs around, I think Tsuna-kun would die first in your hands before any assassin can get the chance," Yotsuba said sleepily, but making Gokudera shake with anger again. If looks could kill, then let's just say Yotsuba is immortal. Ignoring Gokudera's death glares, Yotsuba continued with her story, "Tsuna-kun, there are a lot of personal things that I can't tell you right now. But I need to become your bodyguard so that those family members back in Italy won't come and take me back!"

"Eh? My bodyguard?" Tsuna repeated.

"Hahaha, that sounds like fun! Tsuna, let her join the game!" Yamamoto said happily.

"This is not a game, baseball idiot!" Gokudera yelled in Yamamoto's ear, "Juudaime doesn't need a weak little girl who can't even keep herself awake to be his bodyguard! He has me!"

"Go…Gokudera-kun…"

Yotsuba stared at Gokudera, suddenly looking serious, "Smoking Bomb… I may have a weak body and a sleeping problem, but I have something that Tsuna-kun needs a lot right now: a brain and a strategic mind."

_Isn't that what you lack the most?_ Tsuna had wanted to say that, but he thought that maybe he was wrong considering Reborn's compliments on her and her serious expression. Reborn kicked Tsuna and ordered him to accept Yotsuba's offer, and Gokudera stopped objecting. But before Tsuna could open his mouth to say anything, the door to the rooftop slammed open. There stood Hibari Kyouya.

"Herbivores gathering…" Hibari said in a dangerously low voice and noticed Yotsuba, "and an intruder, too. I'm going to bite you to death!"

Hibari charged at Yotsuba and Tsuna shouted out her name in panic. Yotsuba remained calm, however, and leaned backwards as Hibari swung his tonfa. Missed. Hibari and the bystanders were slightly shocked that Yotsuba avoided Hibari's attack so easily.

Yotsuba stood up and dusted herself off, "so you're Tsuna-kun's family member that goes around 'biting' people… for your information, I'm not an intruder. Can't you see my uniform?"

"I know no uniform with black shorts," Hibari said and charged at Yotsuba again.

Yotsuba stepped back and held out two hands. Just as Hibari's tonfa made contact with her hands, Yotsuba stepped to the side and pushed softly with her hands. Hibari's tonfa moved along with her hands and he moved past her. To everyone's surprise, neither of them was hurt.

"Wao… not bad…" Hibari smirked and attacked even faster, while Yotsuba used the same technique to divert Hibari's attacks.

"Yotsuba-chan… sugoi…" Tsuna gaped.

"I may not be a strong fighter like Takeshi-kun and Hayato-kun, but something like Aikidou* I can do," Yotsuba smiled sweetly as she diverted another one of Hibari's attacks.

"Che… cheap moves…" Gokudera muttered, not admitting that he was slightly impressed.

Hibari paused with his attacks and stared at Yotsuba with his sharp eyes, "Why aren't you attacking?"

"Well, I'm not much of a fighter," Yotsuba said sleepily, "you're a very fast guy. I'm getting quite tired. Since we're all family shall we stop fighting, skylark-kun?"

As Yotsuba gradually let her guards down, Hibari attacked again. Unable to react quickly enough, Yotsuba was struck with the tonfa and fell to the ground. Tsuna panicked again; Gokudera took out his bombs; Yamamoto held out his baseball bat. Yotsuba coughed a bit and stood back up.

"I told you, I'm not much of a fighter," Yotsuba frowned, "but if you want to fight that much, my pet can play with you for a while!"

Yotsuba fumbled in her bag and took out a white creature that looked like a fur ball. It had little black-bean-eyes and little hands and feet. The boys gaped at the unknown creature.

"Wha… what is that?" Tsuna cried.

"Stupid woman! How is that little thing gonna beat Hibari?"

"Hahaha, what is that? It's kind of cute!"

Yotsuba patted the fur ball in her hand, "He's name is Kabi. I found him when I was traveling in the Himalayas last year. It's a special one among his kind, too. You see, if I fed something other than fruits to him," Yotsuba stuffed a piece of cookie into the creature's mouth. The fur ball suddenly jumped down to the ground as it increased in size rapidly, turning into a monster-like creature standing on two feet, about 4 times the size of Yotsuba herself. The monster roared, showing its saw-like teeth, and swung its huge fists around.

"Isn't he cute?" Yotsuba smiled, "he's a yeti!"

"HE'S NOT CUTE NO MATTER HOW I LOOK AT HIM!" Tsuna and Gokudera both shouted.

"Ohh?" Hibari suddenly looked interested, but stopped in his track when he noticed the crack that the yeti made on the roof.

Yotsuba noticed and said, "Ahh, sorry. I forgot that Kabi is rather heavy. If you stop trying to kill me, I'll turn Kabi back to normal and I'll pay for the damages on the rooftop, deal?"

Hibari said nothing but put his tonfa away. Yotsuba sighed in relieve and plucked a piece of hair from Kabi and the yeti turned back to the fur ball. Tsuna also sighed in relieve. Hibari stepped over the damaged cement blocks to walk away, but before he opened the door he turned back around to face Yotsuba.

"Herbivore. What's your name?"

"Me?" Yotsuba pointed at herself, "I'm Mikami Yotsuba, not herbivore, skylark-kun!"

"Mikami Yotsuba," Hibari repeated her name as he left the rooftop, "a worthy opponent."

"Yare, yare," Yotsuba sighed, "looks like I've gotten some unwanted attention."

"Yotsuba-chan, are you all right?" Tsuna went up to Yotsuba with caring eyes. Yotsuba nodded but her knees gave out and she fell to the floor, "I just… need some sleep."

By the time Yotsuba woke up from her nap, school was already over. Yotsuba blinked a couple of times before she completely awakes and saw the back of Yamamoto's head. Yamamoto was carrying her on his back, walking away from school along with Tsuna and Gokudera. Tsuna was the first to notice Yotsuba awake.

"Yotsuba-chan, you're awake!" Tsuna said with a relieved smile.

Yotsuba returned the smile patted Yamamoto on the shoulder, "Thanks, Takeshi-kun! And sorry for having you carry me…"

"Maa, it's nothing!" Yamamoto said with his carefree smile, "You're really light, anyway!"

"Really?" Yotsuba said and wiggled on Yamamoto's back to get into a comfortable position, "You're very warm, Takeshi-kun!"

_Not suitable for the mafia world at all._

* * *

"I'm home!" Yotsuba called out into the empty apartment, "Oh, that's right… I ran away from home…"

Yotsuba walked slowly into the house and sank into a couch tiredly. It was a very long day. Yotsuba took a deep breath and let it out, and took out her cell phone. Flipping it open, Yotsuba sweat-dropped from seeing the 30 missed calls from the Vongola headquarters in Italy.

_Must've been dad_, Yotsuba thought.

"Sorry, daddy… I can't go home right now…" Yotsuba muttered, "…because I've had enough of Nii-san…"

Throwing her phone aside, Yotsuba walked upstairs to the shower.

What Shamal had been feeling today were all accurate. Peace will soon be replaced, especially with the appearance of Mikami Yotsuba in the small town of Namimori.

* * *

TBC.

*Aikidou is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. This requires very little physical energy, as the aikidōka (aikidou practitioner) "leads" the attacker's momentum using entering and turning movements. The techniques are completed with various throws or joint locks. Aikidou can be categorized under the general umbrella of grappling arts.

(Taken from Wikipedia)

A/N: So how was this chapter? I hope everyone is getting to know more and more about Yotsuba! And hopefully… likes her. Hehehe. Next chapter Ryohei will appear for the first time! Please review!


	3. Yamamoto Takeshi

A/N: Yay! Another chapter! This chapter is a bit more serious than the previous, because I wanted to include a bit of background to Yotsuba and a little more insights from her. Hopefully everyone will see that Yotsuba is more than what she puts up on the outside! Now on with the story!

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 3: Yamamoto Takeshi**

_Smile_

_Smile_

_I want you to smile_

_I'm going through life clumsily_

_I can't do the right, right things for you_

_Because I can't find them_

* * *

Yamamoto Takeshi has never really paid attention to girls until he met Mikami Yotsuba. On the day that he met her, he noticed how weak and fragile girls really are. Yotsuba, especially. Not being able to stay awake for more than 9 hours, the girl was really in a big disadvantage despite the tough appearance that she puts up.

Of course girls like Kyoko and Haru are cute and sweet, too. And their liveliness makes it really comfortable for him to be around them. Yotsuba was different. She was strange, lifeless, cool, and clearly missing some common sense. But he was curious about her. When he carried her home that day he noticed how light Yotsuba was. In her sleep, her body was limp, like her life was taken away from her. He was even worried that she will never wake up.

The alarm clock by the bed only rung for ten seconds before Yamamoto clicked it off. Yamamoto whistled happily as he got ready for his baseball morning practice.

"Takeshi! Come down here for breakfast!" his father yelled from downstairs.

"Oh!" Yamamoto yelled back. Being as naïve as ever, he thought about baseball as he ate his breakfast.

* * *

"Yotsuba-chan, what happened to you?" Tsuna approached Yotsuba during self-study session in class, anxiety written all over his face.

Yotsuba looked like she came from the Stone Age. Her hair was a mess and she had dark circles under her eyes. Buttons on her uniform were put through the wrong holes. Slowly, she looked at Tsuna with her restless eyes and grunted. Tsuna took a few steps back. If Yotsuba had more facial hair, she can probably pass as a cave woman.

"Oi, woman!" Gokudera kicked her chair, "Juudaime was asking you a question!"

Yotsuba glared at Gokudera, but she turned away soon after while massaging her temples with her fingers. In a grungy voice she said, "I didn't get a good sleep. Some crazy idiot was out of his mind. I don't mind if he wanted to jog in the morning, but he kept yelling 'EXTREME!' like it's the end of the world!"

"_That… must be Nii-san…"_ thought Tsuna, _"Yotsuba-chan sure has a bad temper when she doesn't get enough sleep!"_

"I swear…" Yotsuba growled, "If I find out who that guy was… I'm going to make meatballs out of him to feed Kabi…"

"Heeeee!" Tsuna screamed, backing away even more.

"Hahaha! Mikami, you don't know who he is? The only person in school that would say 'extreme' like that is probably Sasaga…" Tsuna almost ran into Yamamoto, trying to stop the name from being said. Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at Tsuna; Tsuna smiled awkwardly as if nothing had happened. Sighing, Yotsuba rose from her seat.

"I'm going to the infirmary… I probably won't come back for the rest of the day."

The boys watched her leave the classroom, quiet and speechless.

* * *

"_Nii-san, why are you doing this?"_

"_Because this is what I'm meant to be."_

"_Nii-san, you've changed."_

"_And you've never changed, Yotsuba. Still childish, immature… you don't know anything."_

"_You're not my Nii-san! You're not!" Yotsuba cried._

"_I'm not," said the red-eyed man coldly, "I never was."_

"…-us!" Yotsuba blurted out an unrecognizable word as her eyes snapped open. She panted and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. She closed her eyes again for a few seconds, and then opened them completely. With much effort she sat up from the white bed. Her head turned toward the door to the infirmary as she heard Shamal's voice.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys? I don't treat males!" Shamal said irritatingly.

Yotsuba stretched her neck and tried to peek over Shamal's shoulder.

"Pervert! We're not here for you to treat! We're here to…" Gokudera's voice stopped short, as if he swallowed his own words.

Then came Tsuna's voice, "I promise we'll be quiet! We just want to see Yotsuba-chan!"

Yotsuba was just as surprised to see Tsuna and his friends come in to the infirmary as Tsuna to see Yotsuba awake on the bed. The three boys carried a lot of food, and they set the food down on the table next to the bed. The young Vongola leader's eyes showed much care and sympathy.

"Sorry, Yotsuba-chan," Tsuna said, "did we wake you up?"

Yotsuba shook her head and began to speak, but the dryness of her throat prevented her from doing so. She hasn't drunk anything since she woke up.

"Here!" Tsuna quickly offered a bottle of water.

Yotsuba's eyes scanned the table of food and grabbed the boxed milk as soon as she laid her eyes on them. With a few big gulps she finished the milk. She sighed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Mikami, you like milk?" Yamamoto asked innocently.

"Not particularly. I was just really thirsty" Yotsuba said, "…Sorry. That must've been very unladylike…"

"Che! Are you on that princess thing again?" Gokudera scoffed.

Yotsuba smiled sadly, "I can't help it. Princesses are surrounded by knights, and they're loved by people. If I don't become a princess, then I can't have my knights to protect me…" _Protect me like Nii-san used to… Nii-san, Nii-san, Nii-san. _

Seeing this new side of Yotsuba made Yamamoto uneasy. He was a simple guy and all, but things like friendship and integrity he knew well enough. His eyebrows furrowed and he felt surprisingly angry. Her sad smile looked so ugly in his eyes. Maybe she'd look better if she'd cried. Yesterday she was fearless and tough against herself. Now she looked pathetic.

_Maa, I somehow can't put up an angry face, though…_

"Mikami, you don't need to pretend to be anything in front of us!"

Yotsuba, along with Tsuna and Gokudera, turned to look at Yamamoto with wide eyes. Something seemed to be stopping the air going into her heart when she heard Yamamoto's sudden statement.

"Yamamoto-kun?" Yotsuba mumbled.

"Maa, I've only known you for a little more than a day, but," Yamamoto smiled sheepishly, "You can just be what she wants in front of us! It doesn't matter if you're not a princess… if you everything with your utmost effort, we'll all look after you!"

After hearing Yamamoto's words, Tsuna also smiled, "That's right! All of us will be on your side!"

"A…ah! Since Juudaime already said that… I guess I will put up with you a little more..." Gokudera added immediately after Tsuna.

Yotsuba was in her own little world after listening to the three boys. _Baka!_ Yotsuba said to herself in her head. _Don't let your stupid brother affect you like that! Now you've made yourself look pathetic in front of them!_ Facing the two boys' smiling faces (Gokudera was looking away), Yotsuba couldn't say a word.

Letting out a breath, Tsuna offered Yotsuba a sandwich, "We thought since you weren't coming back to class, we should come accompany you for lunch! After all, you do live in Japan alone, right?"

Right after that, several other people also busted into the infirmary.

"Yotsuba-chan! I made some gyoza for lunch today, do you want to try some?" Kyoko said energetically as she came into the infirmary.

"These books are really good," said Hana, holding a few books in her hands, "if you get bored in here for the rest of the day you can read these to pass time!"

Yotsuba was dumbfounded at this scene. Laying her gaze on Tsuna again, she took the sandwich from his hand. _Yes... the boy has good eyes..._

"Tsuna-kun…" Yotsuba said softly, "… the tenth of the Vongola family… has to be you no matter what…"

"Heee!" Tsuna jumped, "Don… don't talk about that stuff when Kyoko-chan is here!"

"Tsuna-kun, being in the mafia is really great!" Yotsuba said with a smile, clearly intentional. But she wasn't kidding. Even with all the bloodshed, all the crimes, all the hatred and betrayal, it is that world where she found her home.

"Wahhhh!" Tsuna cried. _Yotsuba-chan is evil_, Tsuna thought, _but at least she's back to normal(?) now…_

"OOOOIIIII! SAWADA!"

Yotsuba's body tensed when she heard the familiarly annoying voice. A little fire started inside Yotsuba's stomach and her smile darkened. Tsuna gulped after hearing the voice and slowly turned his head toward the door.

"SAWADA! HAVE YOU EXTREMELY DECIDED TO EXTREMELY JOIN THE BOXING CLUB?" Sasagawa Ryohei shouted with his ever-enthusiastic voice, not forgetting to throw a few punches into the air.

Tsuna's jaws dropped and he quickly turned to see Yotsuba's expression. Yotsuba's body seemed to be emit a dark aura and the veins on her forehead widened like crossroads.

"Ne, White-Hair-san," Yotsuba started, "could it be that you go jogging regularly in the morning?"

_HERE IT IS!_ Tsuna cried in his head.

"Ohh! Of course! Jogging in the morning can get you ready for anything EXTREME for the day!" Ryohei said passionately to Yotsuba, "Hm? Are you EXTREMELY Sawada and Kyoko's friend, Mikami Yotsuba? EXTREME! My name is Sasagawa Ryohei! Are you EXTREMELY wanting to join the boxing club?"

_THE WORD "EXTREME" IS NOT USED THAT WAY!_ Yotsuba's smile turned more and more twisted.

"Yotsuba-chan, Ryohei is my big brother!" Kyoko said happily, not noticing the dangerous atmosphere in the room.

"Your brother?" Yotsuba's dark aura suddenly faded. Yotsuba frowned and thought, _"What do I do? I can't just beat this guy up in front of Kyoko-chan! She is so sweet and nice after all…"_

Just as Tsuna began to think that Yotsuba has given up on the thought to murder Ryohei, Yotsuba grabbed the water bottle on the table and poured the water on Tsuna.

_WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THAT?_ Tsuna cried again in his head.

"JUUDAIME!" Gokudera exploded and readied his dynamites, "HOW ARE YOU POUR WATER ON JUUDAIME?"

"I WANT TO JOIN THE BOXING BOX, SASAGAWA-SENPAI!" Yotsuba yelled suddenly. Ryohei beamed at her and ran in front of her, taking her hand in his.

"An EXTREMELY good decision! Welcome to the boxing club!" Ryohei yelled, not knowing that he was about to be blown away by Gokudera's bombs.

When Tsuna thought things couldn't get any worse, a cold, heartless voice interrupted his thought. Hibari Kyoya stood at the doorway as if sentencing the gathering bunch to death. His narrow eyes swept over everyone's faces in the room and stopped at Yotsuba. Despite seeing Yotsuba still sitting by the bed, Hibari held out his tonfa.

"Mikami Yotsuba," Hibari said slowly, "ready for me to bit you to death?"

Yotsuba sweat-dropped and quickly closed the curtain around the bed, "NO ONE WOULD EVER BE READY FOR THAT!"

"THAT CURTAIN IS NOT GONNA STOP HIM NOW, IS IT?" Tsuna finally shouted aloud.

Just as Tsuna said, Hibari marched to the bed side and tore apart the curtain. Yotsuba hid under the blanket and looked like a human-size onigiri. For some reason, Hibari got really angry at the sight and, without saying a word, swung his tonfa to strike her.

"KONK!"

Yotsuba peeked out from under the sheets after hearing the collision of two metal objects. Hibari was towering over her, and the tonfa that was supposed to have hit her head was interfered by Yamamoto's baseball bat. Seeing that his tonfa didn't hit its target, Hibari glowered at Yamamoto, who was wearing his usual bright smile.

"Maa, don't be like that, Hibari! You're gonna scare her!" Yamamoto said.

_MORE LIKE HE'S GONNA KILL HER!_ Tsuna yelled in his head once again.

_Yamamoto Takeshi_, Yotsuba thought as she looked at Yamamoto thankfully, _I shall take you off my "People to Make Fun Of" list from now on!_

"Herbivore…" Hibari hissed, "I guess you want to die first?"

"E..Ehh?" even the naïve Yamamoto knows how scary Hibari can be, "Maa, let's not fight in here!"

Yotsuba watched the two black-haired youths fight, feeling sorry for Yamamoto. She didn't have many experiences in fighting, but at least she could tell who is stronger. Yotsuba frowned. She should be stopping their fight right now, shouldn't she? Why is she just sitting there like it's not her business? As if all the warmth that she received earlier meant nothing to her…

_Just like when Nii-san did that thing_, she thought, _I couldn't help daddy… I couldn't help Nii-san… why am I so afraid? _

"REEEEBOOOORNNN!"

Tsuna's loud cry interrupted Yotsuba's thought. Yotsuba looked up to see Tsuna separating Yamamoto and Hibari with just boxers on. Her eyes opened completely at this outrageous sight. Putting her previous negative thoughts way aside, Yotsuba watched in awe as a totally different Tsuna pushed Hibari out of the infirmary. As soon as Hibari was out of the room, Tsuna's eyes seem to turn back to normal and he quickly approached Yotsuba.

"Yotsuba-chan, sorry for all the ruckus!" Tsuna apologized and his big innocent eyes made Yotsuba feel… something that she hadn't felt in a while. It was that moment that Yotsuba made a promise to herself that she'll always be by this young man's side, and that no other man will become a better Vongola boss than Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"Tsuna-kun," Yotsuba smiled, "Your boxers are quite fashionable!"

With that being said, Yotsuba collapsed back on the bed, fast asleep. Yamamoto looked at the peaceful smile of the girl and formed a similar smile on his face.

_Be strong, Mikami Yotsuba! Tsuna accepted me in my worst state, and we will all be the same for you!_

* * *

Yotsuba walked home alone that day with sleepy steps.

"Yotsuba-chan!"

Yotsuba stopped and turned back to see Kyoko running toward her with a big smile. Yotsuba returned the smile and waited for Kyoko to catch up to her.

"Yotsuba-chan," Kyoko said again when she caught up to Yotsuba, "I want to say sorry for my Nii-san!"

"Eh?" Yotsuba was taken back, "Why?"

"I heard your conversation in the morning with Tsuna-kun and the others," Kyoko said sweetly, "it must've been my Nii-san that bothered you in your sleep! I already told him to stop doing that in the morning from now on!"

Looking at Kyoko's smile, Yotsuba felt touched. _So nice_, she thought, _Kyoko-chan's smile… is so nice…_

"Kyoko-chan…" Yotsuba said, "is Sasagawa-senpai a good brother?"

"Hm?" Kyoko thought for a while about Yotsuba's odd question, "Yes! I wouldn't want anyone else as my brother!"

Yotsuba smiled, "That's… very nice!" Letting out a big breath, Yotsuba felt refreshed for the first time today.

"Saa, Kyoko-chan! Let's go get some cakes!"

"Ehh? Right now?"

"Yeah! You don't like cakes?"

"I love cakes! It's just… it's not my cake-eating day today…"

"It's' okay, Kyoko-chan! Once in while won't hurt! Girls are supposed to be chubby, anyway, so that boys would want to hug you all the time!"

Kyoko was surprised at first, but smiled nonetheless, "It's my first time hearing that… but let's go, then! I'll ask Haru-chan to come and I'll introduce you to her!"

"Un!" Yotsuba nodded, "Kyoko-chan's going to be a good wife someday!"

"Ehh?"

* * *

TBC.

A/N: Reviews? :D


	4. No Good Dino

A/N: I want to thank the very very nice people who reviewed on this story! Your words fuel me! This is sort of a long chapter… think of it as a New Year's present from me! Hehehe! To my readers, have a happy New Year and please support me in 2009, too!

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 4: No-Good Dino**

_Nobody is ever alone, even if you reach a dead end_

_What's important is to be able to fly, to be able to fly together_

_We surely haven't forgotten_

_We'll remember how to fly_

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day when Dino turned sixteen. His father's mansion was filled with wealthy-looking women and regal, intimidating men. Dino was a well-disciplined teenager due to his father's early death and Reborn's rigorous trainings. He smiled politely as each guests came to congratulate him. He knew well in his head that these attendees were very important to the future of the Chiavorrone family. One of the things that his father always reminded him was the importance of the ties between Chiavorrone and Vongola.

After shaking hands with another wealthy couple, Dino shifted his gaze toward the big table occupied by the group of Vongola. The 9th leader of Vongola seemed like a gentle person, but his Guardians were all very daunting. Dino wondered if he'll ever turn out to be as strong as them.

Dino noticed an approaching silhouette and turned to look at the visitor. He was a little shocked to see a little girl standing in front of him, with big eyes looking at him like he was a wild animal.

Before Dino could think of what to say, the little girl spoke.

"Angel…" the young black-haired girl whispered, "… are you an angel?"

* * *

"Na… Yotsuba-chan… you don't need to walk me all the way home," Tsuna said to Yotsuba, who was walking closely behind him, on his way home.

"Don't be silly, Tsuna-kun, I have to make sure you're safe because I'm your body guard after all!" Yotsuba said in her ever-sleepy tone. Juxtaposing to her words, her tired eyes were almost closed into two slits. This made Tsuna unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.

Tsuna has known Yotsuba for a few weeks now, and each day he is surer of Yotsuba's existence being a joke. First of all, she never takes anything seriously. Whenever he asked her a question she always answered it superficially and it was probably something weird that changes the subject. Second of all, she's got just as much IQ as Yamamoto Takeshi, and although Tsuna isn't in the position to say anything, but Yamamoto's IQ is probably the lowest besides himself. Didn't Reborn say that she is very smart? Didn't she declare that she was going to be the "brain" of Vongola? He remembered that day when Yotsuba received a 12 out of 100 on her math test, beating Yamamoto by one point, Gokudera was furious.

And third of all, her whole person was just a big mystery. He never heard her talk about her family, or her past. The fact that she has a transforming yeti, which was sitting on her shoulder right now, as a pet is totally ridiculous.

"Tsuna-kun, you should watch where you're going…"

"Eh?" Yotsuba's voice pulled Tsuna out from his train of thoughts. When Tsuna looked up he noticed that he almost bumped into a scary man in suits. Stepping back as he panicked, Tsuna soon realized that there was a whole group of those scary men in front of his house. Tsuna thought about running, but the men all lined up and bowed at Tsuna, acknowledging him as Master Sawada Tsunayoshi.

"Tsuna-kun… you didn't tell me you had more family members…" Yotsuba commented, thinking, "these people can't be Tsuna's family… but they look familiar…"

"Wha… what are these people doing here?" Tsuna cried.

"Who knows," Yotsuba said in a carefree way, "well, now that you're safely at home, it's time for me to go!"

"WHAT?" Tsuna cried louder, "ISN'T THIS A DANGEROUS SITUATION?"

Yotsuba shrugged, "Well, if you want to invite me to dinner that badly… I guess I can stay!"

"…" Tsuna was speechless. Yotsuba smiled and pushed Tsuna into his house from his back.

"I'm home!" Tsuna called.

"Welcome back, Tsu-kun!" Nana came out from the kitchen happily, "Ara! Yocchan is here too?"

Over the few weeks, Reborn has kindly "asked" Yotsuba to join Tsuna's family for dinner, and therefore Yotsuba has met all the inhabitants in Tsuna's home, including Lambo and I-Pin. Nana's cooking was, of course, the best Yotsuba has ever tasted.

"Sorry for bothering again, Nana-san! Nana-san's cooking is the best in the world!"

"Ara! Yocchan, you are too sweet!" Nana's eyes glittered with happiness and her hands clasped together, "Tsu-kun, you have a guest in your room! I never knew Reborn had such a good-looking friend!"

Studying Nana's flustered cheeks, Yotsuba thought, "I knew it… it's him…"

"A guest?" Tsuna repeated and walked past Yotsuba. He climbed the stairs and went into his room, while Yotsuba lagged behind, still deciding whether to enter or leave.

Tsuna entered the room saw another couple of those black-suited scary men. Not knowing what to do, Tsuna immediately scolded Reborn who was sitting on the floor casually. Of course Reborn never takes any of Tsuna's scolding. Reborn kicked Tsuna and introduced the blonde-haired man sitting in Tsuna's chair, Dino Chiavarrone.

"My… my senpai?" Tsuna asked incredulously. The handsome man put on a charming smile and stepped closer to Tsuna, adding on to the name of "Dame-Tsuna" by throwing belittling remarks like "unimpressive appearance" and "no aura".

Tsuna seemed to shrink smaller and smaller with each comment thrown into the air by the duet of Dino and Reborn.

"Isn't that enough, Dino?" Yotsuba said as she finally entered the doorway, and Tsuna was never happier to see her. "Weren't you just as useless as Tsuna-kun is when you were this age? Or maybe you were even worse because at least Tsuna doesn't trip over his own feet while walking!"

Was that supposed to make me feel good about myself? Tsuna thought.

"E-eh?" Dino's cool smile suddenly turned into a troubled expression, resembling Tsuna's, "Reborn! You didn't tell me that Yocchan was going to be here!"

"Didn't I tell you that Yotsuba became Tsuna's bodyguard? She's gotta be with him all the time," Reborn said innocently, "and after all these years are you still scare of Yotsuba, Dino? Looks like I haven't trained you enough!"

"Ehh?" Tsuna was surprised. This intimidating man is scared of Yotsuba?

"It's not that I'm scared of Yocchan!" Dino put on a sour smile, "it's just that Yocchan hates me and likes to give me trouble! And I've never done anything to her, either! She's the one that thought I was a…"

"Dino, do you really not know when to be quiet?" Yotsuba shot a silencing look at Dino, a little red in the face.

"I… I do…" Dino sweat-dropped.

"Good," Yotsuba said, "well, since you're probably here to lecture Tsuna-kun, I'm just going to sleep right here until dinner time!"

Yotsuba plopped down on Tsuna's bed, ignoring Tsuna's protest and fell asleep. Sighing in defeat, Tsuna sat down across the little table from Dino. Dino, too, sat back down on the tall chair, putting back up his confident smile.

"Sorry about all the bad things I said earlier… don't take it personally!" Dino said, "to tell the truth, I wasn't fit to be a mafia leader at all before I met Reborn!"

"Before you met Reborn? You mean…?"

"Before you, I was training Dino!" Reborn said, sitting on the armrest of Dino's chair.

"WHAT?"

"Reborn's training was not easy… I still remember the days when I almost got killed everyday," Dino said. He retold his memories of Reborn's life-risking tasks and his failures at first. Those stories made Tsuna even more scared of Reborn's plan for him. Dino laughed.

"I wouldn't be a good leader if I hadn't met Reborn!" Dino said, "Reborn is a good teacher! You'll learn a lot from him!"

"Really?" Tsuna said, doubt overflowing from his tone, "Dino-san… how come you know Yotsuba-chan?"

"Yocchan?" Dino had that sheepish smile again, "Well, I met her when she was only a little girl!"

"Ehh? You mean… when you guys were still in Italy?"

"You're right!" Dino said, "It was my sixteenth birthday when I met her. She thought I was an angel because I had blonde hair and I was wearing a white suit!"

I… I never thought Yotsuba-chan could ever be naïve before… Tsuna thought.

"And after Yotsuba saw how weak Dino was, she thought that Dino was trying to fool her and started hating him!" Reborn added.

"Hey!" Dino pouted, "Don't say that!"

Tsuna sighed, "So Yotsuba-chan has been on the queer side ever since she was that small…"

"Hahaha, Yocchan does do a lot of weird things!" Dino laughed, "but she really is a nice girl… even though she always made fun of me, she was always there for me too… haha, and to think that I'm eight years older than her!"

"Dino-san…" Tsuna said. It was hard for him to believe that Yotsuba was actually of help to this successful man.

Just as Tsuna was thinking about that, I-Pin broke into the room with Lambo following behind, two grenades in his hands. Tsuna wasn't even that surprised when Lambo tripped and his grenades flew out the window, but Tsuna was surprised when he saw that Lambo still held the safety pin.

Dino saw that his men were in danger, and reacted quickly. Leaping out the window, he took out his whip and shouted an order for his men to get back. He caught the grenades with his whip and sent them into the sky so that they couldn't hurt anyone.

Tsuna saw Dino and his men laughing and joking with each other and thought that they were so cool. Reborn told Dino to stay over for the night and Dino's men left to the hotel.

"Yotsuba-chan! Dinner's ready!" Tsuna called from downstairs.

Yotsuba stumbled down the stairs, still looking sleepy. She was leaning from side to side when she got to the dinner table. Dino smiled at her.

"Yocchan, did you have a good sleep?"

"…" Yotsuba stared at Dino and looked around, "Dino… where is Romario?"

"Romario?" Dino repeated, "He and the others already left! We can't fit everyone in this kitchen after all!"

Yotsuba looked uneasy, "… I think I should leave…"

"Ehh? Why?" both Dino and Tsuna exclaimed.

"You're not staying, Yocchan?" Nana looked over from her shoulder, "but I prepared a lot for you guys!"

"Don't you think it's rude to turn down Mama's invitation?" Reborn said as he pointed his gun at Yotsuba. She sweat-dropped and sat down.

During the dinner Yotsuba was quiet. She chewed slowly and listened to the others' conversation. Dino talked to Tsuna as though he was a respectful elder. Yotsuba watched as Dino made a mess on the dinner table and wondered why no one had noticed. By this time Dino was explaining the relationship between the Chiavarrone family and Vongola family. Finally Nana noticed the mess that Dino was making and it also made Tsuna very shocked. Dino tried to make an excuse saying that he was used to eating with forks and knifes.

Yotsuba snorted. Dino pouted at her with watery eyes, flushed in the cheeks.

Dino… some things just never change, ne? Yotsuba thought, a smile forming on her face.

* * *

Yotsuba was only eight years old that year, and the worst things you can do to a little girl are 1) take away her dolls and 2) lie to her. Yotsuba stumped into the garden with her cheeks puffed and round like an eating hamster. Her brows furrowed, clearly she was mad about something. The cause of her anger, Dino Chiavarrone, came after her.

Dino learned that the girl who just called him an angel was an important member of the Vongola family after he had told the girl that he wasn't an angel. Who knew that the girl would be that mad to know that he wasn't an angel? Seriously, the girl lives in Italy. Blonde people are everywhere on the street! Dino sighed and approached the angry girl from the back.

"Hey, are you all right?" he asked carefully.

"Go away! You… angel-imposter!" the girl shouted.

"I'm not an angel-imposter! I never said I was an angel in the first place!"

"Then why do you have blonde hair and pretty eyes like that?"

P…pretty eyes? "I was born with these! You can ask anyone here!"

"Liar, liar! You're a liar, too!" Yotsuba said angrily, eyeing the blonde boy with distaste. But her eyes turned curious when she saw the odd shape inside the boy's pocket, "…what is that?"

"This?" Dino reached into his pocket and took out a turtle, "his name is Enzio."

Yotsuba admired the turtle and her cheeks turned to a rosy color.

"Do you like him?" Dino asked.

Yotsuba nodded.

"Here," Dino put Enzio on her hands, "you can play with him if you want! Just don't get water on him!"

Yotsuba removed her gaze from the turtle and to the young boy, and blinked. Dino thought that the girl wasn't angry at him anymore, so he said, "My name is Dino Chiavarrone. What's yours?"

"Mikami Yotsuba," the black-haired girl said, "and this is Enzio!"

"I… I know…" Dino sweat-dropped, "he's my pet…"

"No," Yotsuba turned her back on him, "to punish you for trying to fool me, Enzio is now mine!"

"Ehh?" Dino cried, "you… you can't do that!"

Yotsuba made a face, "until you dye your hair back to its normal color, I'm going to keep Enzio!"

"I SAID: I WAS BORN WITH IT!" Dino shouted.

Yotsuba ran. Dino chased after, but tripped over himself after only three steps. Hearing the loud thump, Yotsuba turned to see Dino face-down on the grass. Yotsuba smiled, but Dino wasn't able to see it as he was kissing the grass. Yotsuba went to help him up.

"I guess you're really not an angel after all," Yotsuba said as she held out her hand, "Angels can fly, you know?"

Dino stared at Yotsuba, speechless.

"Go back in and wash up your face!" Yotsuba said, "You're ruining all the pretty flowers here!"

* * *

Yotsuba got pulled out from her flashback as the sound of Lambo's scream came from the bathroom. Both Tsuna and Dino stood up to the scream, but Dino tripped and fell after taking just one step. Tsuna was shocked again, but there was no time for him to feel surprised so he ran up the stairs. They found Lambo crying and unable to move in the bathtub. Tsuna scolded Lambo for wearing his clothes in the bathtub, but an enlarged Enzo emerged from the bathtub, making Tsuna fall backwards.

"Enzio!" Yotsuba gasped with joy while Tsuna panicked.

Tsuna was screaming as if he was tortured when Enzo started to eat up the bathtub. Dino took a step, "Step back, guys! I'll take care of my own pet!"

Dino lashed at the giant turtle, but hit Tsuna instead. Yotsuba was way down the hall at this moment. Reborn sighed and ordered Leon to hop onto Tsuna's face. Tsuna's was then transformed into Romario's. Thinking that Tsuna was Romario, Dino was able to retain his skills and tamed his pet turtle.

"I'm sorry, Enzo!" Dino said as he blew dry the turtle.

Yotsuba took hold of the turtle when it shrunk to its original size, "Enzio! I missed you!"

Dino smiled, "Yocchan still really likes Enzio, ne!"

Yotsuba ignored Dino, "Poor Enzio… it must've been hard on you to be with No-Good Dino all the time!"

Dino toppled over. Tsuna sighed. He was glad that his home wasn't eaten up. Yotsuba yawned and fell asleep with Enzio still in her hands. Dino gently removed Enzio away from her hands so that Enzio's spikes wouldn't hurt her. The girl didn't stir at all.

Yocchan… Did you miss me, too?

* * *

When Yotsuba was ten years old her favorite place to be was on the trees in the Vongola garden. This day, also, she was playing with a turtle named Enzio on top of a tall tree. Her back against the stump of the tree and one of her legs was hanging down.

"Miss Yotsuba! The young master Dino Chiavarrone is here to see you!"

"Okay," Yotsuba said. In a few minutes a shuffling sound came near the tree.

"Yocchan!" Dino, now an adult at age eighteen, called out to her, "Will you come down from there?"

"Why?" Yotsuba said, "Can't you come up here?"

A shade of red appeared on Dino's youthful, handsome face, "Yocchan… you know I can't…"

Yotsuba laughed, "Why not? What a waste of Reborn's teaching if you're not learning anything!"

"Yocchan!" Dino pleaded, "I'm going on a training trip with Reborn tomorrow; I need Enzio back!"

Yotsuba stuck her tongue out, "You said I could play with Enzio all I want! Besides, you can't always rely on Enzio, you know! That's why you're so weak!"

Dino frowned, "I'm not weak, Yocchan. Can't you be a bit more respectful? I'm eight years older than you!"

Yotsuba waved her hands at him, "You're as old as Nii-chan, and you can't even put up a good match with him! Isn't that what you call weak? Enzio probably likes being with me, anyway, so that he doesn't have to always save you!"

Something snapped inside of Dino, "Enzio! Get over here!"

The turtle obeyed his master and wriggled out of Yotsuba's hands. Yotsuba was surprised and couldn't catch him as he jumped into Dino's hands. Yotsuba followed suit and landed in front of Dino. She was a bit taken back as she saw the angry eyes of Dino.

"Yotsuba," Dino said, "I've had enough of this. I always had to put up with you even though you made fun of me and took my Enzio away all the time! I don't even know why I let you do those things! I can't let a little girl who can't even stay awake boss over anymore! Don't ever come to the Chiavarrone mansion to steal Enzio again, or I'll get really mad!"

Yotsuba looked as if she was going to cry, "Dino… I hate you!"

Dino sighed, "Yocchan… you have to stop being selfish…"

With that, Dino left for his trip. He looked back to see Yotsuba's indifferent expression, but in her eyes he was sure that he saw a little bit of hurt.

* * *

Tsuna and Yotsuba left the house in the morning to see Dino's men crowding on the street again. Dino came out also to say that he didn't need any pick-up. His men made an excuse of just happening to pass by on a walk. Tsuna smiled, looking a bit admired at the relationship between Dino and his families.

"Good morning, Juudaime! I was just wandering and I happened to come here!" Gokudera approached from the other side of the street, waving happily.

"Gokudera-kun!"

"Yo, Gokudera-kun!" Yotsuba waved coolly.

"Wha..what? What are you doing with Juudaime so early in the morning, woman?"

"Well, I stayed over at Tsuna-kun's home last night and we did lots of exciting things together!" Yotsuba said in a high-pitched voice, wiggling left and right with her hands on her cheeks.

"WHAT?"

"Heee! Gokudera-kun, Yotsuba-chan is just joking, put those dynamites away!"

It was only the beginning of the day and everyone is already very energetic. After Gokudera, Haru and Yamamoto also came. Tsuna felt happy that he has friends that like him like Dino's man to Dino. Yotsuba saw Reborn and Dino's mischievous eyes as she passed by them to leave with Tsuna and his friends.

On their way to school, Gokudera was telling Tsuna about Dino. Yotsuba scoffed when Gokudera said that all older men are his enemies, which earned her another yelling from Gokudera. Yamamoto asked Tsuna if he'd done his homework, but Tsuna forgot. Just when they were talking about the homework, a red sports car sped by and kidnapped Tsuna. Immediately Gokudera and Yamamoto chased after the red car, despite Reborn's warning about the danger of the yakuza Momokyokai.

Before Haru can comprehend what's going on, the red car made a detour through the neighborhood and came back to where they were. Dino stepped out of the car while wearing a smile.

"I like them," he stated, "although, I wouldn't say that they're very calm."

On the passenger's side Romario exited along with a tied-up Tsuna. Haru beamed at Tsuna's safety.

"What is the meaning of this, Dino-san?" Tsuna asked angrily.

"Sorry, sorry! I just wanted to test your family!" Dino answered casually.

"Test?"

"You must be really happy, Tsuna!" Dino said, "It's rare to have families that care so much about their boss!"

Tsuna blushed and denied the compliment, though he really felt happy. Things weren't over, though, because Reborn then said that Momokyokai was actually a real yakuza that resided in this region. Tsuna and Dino yelled at Reborn for being so extreme, but the snot bubbles that came out from Reborn's little nose signaled that he's sleeping. Tsuna couldn't think of anything else but to run after his friends, so he departed. Dino followed suit.

"Yotsuba-chan! Take care of Haru-chan for me!" Tsuna hollered in the front.

"…" Yotsuba saw the two young bosses off. "Saa, Haru-chan, shall we go to school now?"

"Hahi?" Haru stood up, "Yocchan, you're not going to go after Tsuna-san?"

"No, I'm sure they'll be fine," Yotsuba yawned. Besides, I don't want to be near Dino when his subordinates aren't there. "Don't you trust Tsuna-kun, Haru-chan?"

"Yes! Yes, of course!" Haru said happily and followed Yotsuba, "but… Yocchan… this isn't the way to Namimori Middle School…"

"Oh?" Yotsuba stopped in her track, "well, since we're late anyway, let's go get some cakes!"

* * *

As expected of Dino without his subordinates, he was useless at the fight with Momokyokai. Not only did he whip himself, he also whipped Gokudera and Yamamoto in the face. That made a big laugh from the thugs. Reborn appeared and shot Tsuna with the Dying Will Bullet and the Clenched Fist Bullet. Sooner or later Romario and the rest of Dino's men arrived and Dino was fired up again. The four of them fought off the yakuza and everything was well. Dino stayed over at Tsuna's house again that night.

It was time for Dino to leave the next day. Tsuna was somewhat relieved that Dino wasn't going to stay anymore, but he was going to miss this brotherly figure for sure. After giving Tsuna a few more words of encouragement, Dino was ready to leave. Before stepping into the car Dino turned back again to face Tsuna.

"Oh yeah, Tsuna," Dino said, "Do you know where Yocchan lives?"

"Yotsuba-chan?" Tsuna repeated, "Yeah, it's the big elite apartment near the shopping center. Why?"

"I want to drop by and give her something," Dino smiled, "Thanks, Tsuna! And good luck with everything!"

The doorbell interrupted Yotsuba's slumber. She lifted herself up from her bed as if it took her whole body's strength, and rocked back and forth toward the front door. Cursing whoever that bothered her, Yotsuba fumbled with the lock and finally opened the door. Dino stood there smiling.

"Yocchan, good morning!"

"…" Yotsuba looked a bit surprised, "… I thought you were leaving?"

"I wanted to come see you first," Dino said, "can I come in?"

"…Sure…" Yotsuba stepped aside and let Dino in, "where's Romario?"

"They're waiting downstairs for me," Dino said while Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at him, "Don't worry!"

Yotsuba led Dino to the living room and motioned him to sit on the couch. She sat down across from him and they talked about what happened yesterday. Yotsuba didn't look very interested, but Dino knew that she's listening. She always did. After a few minutes, Yotsuba reminded Dino that he should leave soon.

"Yocchan," Dino said as he stood up, "this is for you!"

Yotsuba looked at the neatly-wrapped box suspiciously and took it from Dino's hands. She gasped when she opened it, taking out a stuffed toy that looked exactly like Enzio. She looked back up at Dino with grateful eyes.

"I had it specially made before I came here," Dino smiled, "you've always loved Enzio. So I thought I'll give this to you so that when Enzio and I are back in Italy, you won't be lonely!"

Yotsuba returned the smile, "Don't be so full of yourself. I've got Kabi now, you know?"

Dino smirked, "Then I'll take it back!"

Yotsuba grasped the stuffed turtle tightly, "No!"

"Hahaha," Dino laughed and patted Yotsuba on the head and made for the door. "You take care of yourself, now!"

"…Thanks, Dino," Yotsuba said right before Dino stepped out of the door, "and sorry for always stealing Enzio and making fun of you all the time. I guess I wanted to always keep something of yours with me so that you'll always come back to me. You've been my only friend since I was little after all…"

Dino turned back and smiled, "Yocchan, I thought we've been through this years ago!"

"I can't help it," Yotsuba smiled sourly, "have a safe trip, Dino!" Because four years ago I didn't tell you this, and you didn't come back for a long time…

"Thanks!" Dino gave her a reassuring smile and left.

Yotsuba stared at the closed door for a while, and then went upstairs to change into her uniform.

I missed you a lot, Dino.

* * *

TBC.

A/N: Whew! I hope that didn't sound too much like DinoxOC XD! Dino is supposed to be like a brother figure to Yotsuba… REVIEW PLEASE!


	5. Tropical Fruit, Tonfa, and Laughters

A/N: YAY! First update of 2009! You know, I'm actually updating this story faster than I thought. After the holidays are over, my updating speed probably won't be so fast. In my last chapter there was a pretty big mistake and thanks to **kimmiYO** who corrected me! Maybe I need a beta reader… but anyway, if anyone spots any mistakes, please tell me so I can correct them!

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 5: Tropical Fruit, Tonfa, and Laughters**

_I won't be stained in any colour_

_I swore I'd be "black"_

* * *

The Seiran Apartments building is located in a very expensive area in Namimori. It's a very convenient place, geographically. Living meant that you lived in the liveliest part of the town, and you can get just about anywhere by foot. The shopping center is just around the corner, and it only took about 15 minutes to get to the train station. Although it's quite on the outskirts of Namimori, the Tokiguchi Apartments is still a popular place for rich people. Yotsuba doesn't particularly like the place, though. Having the convenience to get all these places meant nothing to her. In fact, she was quite disappointed when she found out that no one her age actually lives around this area.

Yotsuba sighed as she locked her apartment's door from the outside. She had walked to school with Tsuna a few times before, and though she mostly bickered with Gokudera on the way, she can't deny that she enjoys their company. She squinted her eyes as they met the shining rays of the sun.

"So bright…" she muttered. "It's going to be another boring day, isn't it…"

To walk to school Yotsuba has to cross the Namimori shopping center. It was a place where she hung around a lot when she wasn't with Tsuna. She got to know many of the nice old ladies and gramps who sold groceries to her. She greeted them politely as she passed their shops. Namimori was truly a great little town. The people are so nice and it's so peaceful.

Yotsuba never thought she would sense such a detestable aura in Namimori. She was passing by the vegetable shop when she felt it. It was a dangerous feeling. Though the bad feeling wasn't directed toward her, it made her uneasy. Yotsuba jerked around to find the person discharging that aura, but just as she turned she crashed into a young man that was at least a head taller than her. She looked up to see a boy with an oddly-styled blue hair and an eerie smile. Pineapple?

"Are you all right, miss?" the boy asked. His right eye was covered by his bangs, and his left eye looked into Yotsuba's as if he's seeing through her.

_The aura's gone. Was it him?_ Yotsuba eyed the young man suspiciously, "I'm fine. Sorry about that…"

"Don't be." The boy's smile was so sinister that it made Yotsuba shiver. She also noticed that he wasn't wearing a Namimori uniform, even though he looked around her age. He probably isn't from Namimori at all.

"Is there something on my face?" The boy asked innocently, chuckling in a weird way.

"Nothing," Yotsuba answered almost too quickly, "I'm leaving now."

The boy grabbed hold of Yotsuba's wrist before she could go far. Yotsuba looked back slowly, placing her other hand in her bag and grabbed Kabi.

"Kufufufu… Don't be so scared! I just want to know your name!"

Yotsuba fought her nerves and growled, "Pervert!"

The boy's eyebrow twitched, but his smile didn't seem to go away. He loosened his grasp on her hand and said politely, "My name is Rokudou Mukuro. Now that I've told you my name, you can tell me yours…"

Yotsuba fumed and reached for Rokudou's arm that was holding hers with her other hand. Originally planning to throw Rokudou using Aikidou, but he let go of her before she could catch him. It surprised her. She didn't think twice and ran as fast as she could toward Namimori Middle School.

The blue pineapple boy chuckled again in his weird way. "Mikami Yotsuba, we'll meet again."

* * *

Yotsuba panted as she sprinted all the way to the gates of Namimori Middle School. The name Rokudou Mukuro replayed over and over in her head, making her dizzy and scared. She was sure that the blue-haired youth was the one that emitted the dangerous aura. Her pace slowed and she kept her balance with one hand on the gates. Her tired eyes scanned the entrance of the school; there were no students as she was already late.

"This is good…" Yotsuba murmured, "That bloodthirsty skylark isn't here…"

Yotsuba fell to the ground with a thud. Her back heaved up and down from her heavy breathing. She fell asleep before she could see the black silhouette approaching her.

When Yotsuba woke up she wasn't in her classroom but she was in the infirmary. She sat up and looked around the room. There was no one there. Just as she was about to get up, the door slid open and a tall guy came in. When the guy turned around Yotsuba almost laughed. The guy had a tough appearance and a pompadour style hair. What is with today and weird hairstyles?

"You're awake." The guy said with a deep voice.

"Yes," Yotsuba said, "and you are?"

"Kusakabe Tetsuya." The guy nodded his head, "You're lucky Iinchou didn't see you… you would be in a hospital instead of this…"

"You brought me here?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." Yotsuba smiled, "and by Iinchou, you mean?"

"You don't know?" Kusakabe said, a little surprised, "Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari Kyouya."

"Ah! Him!" Yotsuba breathed, "You're right… he would've bitten me to death…"

Kusakabe looked at the girl with disbelief. She was talking about Iinchou in such a casual way. Something seems odd about the frail girl, though. He could've sworn that Iinchou had seen the fainted girl when they were inspecting the campus.

Yotsuba waved her hand in front of Kusakabe's face, bringing him back to present. "Kusakabe-senpai, what time is it?"

"If you don't feel well, you can rest a bit more. It's free period right now."

"I see," Yotsuba said while standing up, "Thanks, Kusakabe-senpai!"

Kusakabe's eyes followed Yotsuba as she made for the door. She slid the door open and turned back to face him, "My name is Mikami Yotsuba by the way! You have a kind heart, Kusakabe-senpai, even though you have a tough appearance!"

Yotsuba left Kusakabe gawking in the infirmary and walked out on her own. She yawned as she slowly made her way back to 1-A. She felt a lot calmer now about the mysterious Rokudou Mukuro, but she probably won't touch pineapples for a long time. A sound of people shouting made Yotsuba stop in her track. Yotsuba looked down to see I-Pin run across the hall with two green lunchboxes in her hands.

"OI! GIVE BACK JUUDAIME'S LUNCHBOX!" Gokudera's voice first came into recognition. Yotsuba looked toward his voice and found the lot of them chasing after I-Pin.

"Ah! Yotsuba-chan, you're here!" Tsuna acknowledged her and kept running.

"…" Yotsuba stood there, speechless, as she watched Lambo lagged behind. When all of them were finally out of her sight, she sighed. "Having a lot of energy sure is a good thing, ne, Kabi…"

Silence.

"Kabi?" Yotsuba called, looking around her. "My bag's not here!"

Yotsuba began to worry. What if she dropped it in a hurry when she ran, and now that creepy pineapple has Kabi? She shook her head. She was sure that she had her bag with her, but she didn't recall seeing it in the infirmary. She took a big breath and walked faster toward the classroom. Maybe that nice guy Kusakabe brought it to class for her. Things aren't always that easy, though, as there was no sign of her bag in the classroom either.

"I wonder if there is a lost and found room here." Yotsuba wondered aloud. She walked around aimlessly. After a few minutes she stopped in front of a big door. On the door there was a sign that said "Reception Room". Yotsuba stared at the doorknob doubtfully.

"Well, I've got no other clue anyway," Yotsuba said to herself before opening the door.

Yotsuba froze when she saw the violent skylark asleep on the couch. She looked a bit further and saw her bag sitting on the table in front of the window. _That Kusakabe… why did he put it here?_ Yotsuba cursed in her mind and tiptoed toward her goal. She looked at Hibari as she carefully crept past him.

_He doesn't look that scary when he's sleeping._ Yotsuba made a mental comment. She beamed when she finally reached the desk. Quickly opening her bag, she fumbled with it and found Kabi. She ruffled his fur and kissed him on the head.

Kabi looked happy. "Chiii~!"

Completely forgetting about the sleeping Hibari, Yotsuba said happily, "Kabi! You're all right!"

"Mikami Yotsuba."

Yotsuba froze. By the volume of his voice, Hibari was probably right behind her right now. She gulped, and started to turn around slowly. Before she can fully look at Hibari, a tonfa came into view and the next thing she saw was the ceiling.

"Owwww…" Yotsuba didn't feel how much it hurt until she sat up. She licked her top lip and tasted something metallic. Her nose was bleeding. _That damn skylark, HE HIT MY FACE?_

"Disturbing my sleep…" Hibari muttered, "I'll bite you to death!"

Yotsuba panicked. Her bleeding nose made her head dizzy again. With much effort Yotsuba stood up, propping herself upright against the wall. Mercilessly, Hibari raised his tonfa at her. To Yotsuba's surprise, the tonfa never made contact with her. She followed Hibari's gaze down to her injured knee.

_When did this get on my knee?_ Yotsuba thought.

Hibari lowered his tonfa. His piercing eyes were making Yotsuba produce cold sweat. "Why were you fainted this morning?"

"It's not any of your business." Yotsuba said. "Wait… I thought Kusakabe-senpai said you didn't see me this morning, skylark-kun."

Hibari hit Yotsuba, then, making her fly across the room. Yotsuba's nose bled even harder.

"WILL YOU STOP HITTING ME ON THE FACE?" Yotsuba exploded. Her right hand covered her bleeding nose, blood dripping from the space in between her fingers.

"This morning…" Hibari repeated dangerously, "why were you unconscious?"

"… Are you worried about me, skylark-kun?"

Hibari sent Yotsuba across the room again. Okay, she deserved this one. Yotsuba struggled to sit up, coughing up blood while doing so. She crawled at the wall, and leaned against it. When she opened her eyes she saw a hand in front of her against the wall. Her eyes followed the arm to see Hibari's enlarged face. She panicked to find out that Hibari has locked her against the wall.

"Herbivore." Hibari said, cold and heartless. "Do not call me 'skylark-kun'…"

"Iinchou!" Yotsuba blurted immediately.

Hibari stared her down.

"Hi… Hibari-san?" Yotsuba said, this time in a questioning tone.

"..."

"…"

"… Kyouya?"

Hibari kept the same expression, but he lowered his hands and stood up. Yotsuba looked bewildered as Hibari walked away. Not looking back, Hibari threw her a box of tissue. Yotsuba stared at the tissue box with a blank expression, and pulled out a sheet to wipe her bloody face. When she was done and about to put the box back to where it was, she found Hibari sitting at his desk, playing with Kabi. Or, rather, squeezing and stretching the life out of the poor fur ball.

"Don't do that!" Yotsuba cried and reached for her pet. She didn't realize that her fingers were still bloody, and they stained Hibari's fingers when they made contact. Yotsuba gawked and looked at Hibari with fearful eyes.

Hibari stared back at her. "Don't make a face like that."

"… What?"

Hibari removed his gaze. "You look weak."

Yotsuba watched Hibari wipe away the blood on his fingers quietly. A smile formed on her face.

"Kyouya… you do care abo…" Yotsuba was cut off by another swing of Hibari's tonfa. Blood spewed out of her nose again. Yotsuba glared at Hibari with teary eyes before she fell backwards and fainted.

Hibari smirked. He carried the limp girl to the couch and threw her down on it. Her pet fur ball screeched at him angrily while trying to stop her blood flow. Yotsuba started murmuring in her sleep. Here and there Hibari heard his name being mentioned. Curious, Hibari leaned down to listen.

"Skylark-kun… Hibari… I'm going to kick your ass next time... Kyouya… Kyouya… Kyouya…"

Pause.

Hibari stood back up and plopped down on the other couch across from the one Yotsuba's sleeping on. Lying down and closing his eyes, he said, "I'll bite you to death later…"

* * *

"You're finally awake?"

When Yotsuba woke up again, there were only her and Kusakabe in the Reception Room. Her head hurt like an elephant just ran over it. She ran her wrist under her nose. Dried blood crumbled down in pieces as she repeated the movement.

"Ugh." Yotsuba grunted, looking at the blood pieces with disgust.

Kusakabe sighed at the girl's actions. How did this girl get so beaten up in only half an hour? Then again, this IS the Reception Room. This girl is pretty brave for entering the Reception Room on her own. Unknowing that Yotsuba didn't even know about the dangers of the Reception Room, Kusakabe looked at the girl with sympathy. Maybe Iinchou went a little too far on this girl… now she has all these bruises on her face.

"Kusakabe-senpai…" Yotsuba said, breaking the silence, "What time is it?"

_This question sounds familiar._ "School has ended already. Iinchou left too."

"Is that so?" Yotsuba sighed. "Maybe I'll kill that little birdy another time!"

_What a daring thing to say!_ Kusakabe thought.

"Well!" Yotsuba said as she stood up straight, "Thanks for all your care again, Kusakabe-senpai! I hope I don't see you again since every time I've seen so far I've been in pretty bad condition!"

The strip of leaf in Kusakabe's mouth fell as Yotsuba made her way out of the door.

Yotsuba caressed her face as she walked out of the school building, making "tsk" sounds for every touch on each bruise. From behind the wall came the ear-ripping cry of Lambo. Yotsuba's head was drawn toward that direction and heard even more voices. Out of curiosity Yotsuba walked toward the noise. Behind the wall were Tsuna, Gokudera, Yamamoto, Ryohei, Haru, Reborn, and Bianchi in a squirrel costume.

"Ah!" Yotsuba gasped when she saw Bianchi's costume.

The others all turned around to Yotsuba's voice.

"Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna said, "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing!" Yotsuba smiled, "A little birdy got hungry and thought I was food!"

All of them gaped.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We're having a contest to find Lambo a babysitter," Reborn answered, "Want to join?"

Yotsuba stared at the cow-suited baby that's going berserk and said, "No, thanks."

"The winner gets to become Tsuna's right hand man!"

"Really?" Yotsuba exclaimed, "But then again… that means I'd have to listen to Gokudera's jabbering everyday, and that wouldn't be fun at all…"

"OI! STUPID WOMAN! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA WIN?" said the offended octopus.

"Oh, it's starting already…" Yotsuba groaned. "Don't you think it's loud enough over here?"

Gokudera readied his bombs and Tsuna tried to stop him. Yotsuba watched as this everyday-episode was played in front of her again and forgot about the bad feelings she got this morning. No more did she think about the creepy smile of Rokudou Mukuro, but instead she laughed as each of Tsuna's friends failed at the task of taming Lambo. When it was finally her turn she failed at the job too, scaring Lambo with an enlarged Kabi.

"Well," Yotsuba yawned, "I didn't want the job, anyway. I'd probably 'accidentally' kill the kid…"

"Heeeee!"

"Hahi! Yocchan is being so dangerous!"

"Hahaha! Mikami is funny!"

"Oi! Are you saying that being Juudaime's right hand man is not worthy enough for you?"

"EXTREME!"

"Give Lambo-san candy!"

Yotsuba smiled.

* * *

TBC.

A/N: Ah~ I hope the end didn't sound too cheesy. I didn't like this chapter so much… I wanted to write something sweet and cute in the Reception Room bit… but I thought that Hibari didn't know Yotsuba THAT well that he'd actually do sweet things, so I made it part sweet part violent. Um in case it's a bit confusing, Hibari was the one that took Yotsuba's bag to the Reception Room! Hmm and Mukuro appeared! It'll be a long time before he appears again, though. I hope everyone will review!


	6. Gokudera's Melancholy

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 6: Gokudera's Melancholy**

_I need you, even though we fight all the time_

_Like you need me, I don't want to leave you_

_My last words_

_Are "I'm sorry I always get mad at you"_

_Cause I need you_

* * *

Gokudera is a very loyal person that you can always count on… if you were Sawada Tsunayoshi. Ever since the second day that he'd met Tsuna, he's sworn to be by Tsuna's side until his own death. He has an extremely soft side when it comes to Tsuna or anything related to his beloved Juudaime. Truthfully, everyone does. But if anyone tried to show any kind of affection toward Tsuna, Gokudera will be pissed off. Yotsuba has established a theory that Gokudera really cared about everyone somewhere deep in his heart. Speaking of Yotsuba, if there was a person that Gokudera hated more than the baseball idiot, it would be Yotsuba.

That girl really thinks she's better than him. It's been a month now, and there is still no sign of her being any superior than him. Her test scores were horrible. Her fighting skills? She hasn't even combated for real even once! She can never protect Tsuna like he can. Maybe her pet yeti can do the job better than her. But still, he's the only one suited for the job.

It is not unnatural if Gokudera got mad first thing in the morning. There were many things that could tick him off easily. In today's case, it would be the alarm clock.

"Damned alarm clock!" Gokudera hissed as he threw the poor thing at the wall, "How dare you not wake me up? If I don't get to walk to school with Juudaime today, I'm going to break you apart!"

Huffing angrily toward the bathroom, Gokudera grabbed his uniform and slammed the bathroom door shut. In the shower Gokudera thought about how wonderful and admirable Tsuna is for tolerating idiotic people like baseball idiot, stupid cow, and that stupid girl with her brain not screwed on right. Really, if he were Tsuna, he'd have blown up that group of morons a thousand times already.

After looking into the mirror one last time, making sure that he looked presentable for Juudaime, Gokudera left the house quickly. On the way to Tsuna's house Gokudera glared at every living thing in sight. If anything were to harm Tsuna, he'd be there to protect Tsuna! When he finally arrived at Tsuna's home, it was Nana who answered the door instead of Tsuna. Learning that Tsuna had already left for school, Gokudera made a mental note to slaughter the alarm clock when school is over.

When Gokudera was about to continue on to school, Nana said warmly, "Thanks for always looking after Tsu-kun, Gokudera-kun! I'm really happy that Tsu-kun has a friend he can count on!"

Gokudera blushed. Nana's words were like chiming bells in his heart. Thinking that Tsuna's mother has approved of him as Tsuna's right hand man, Gokudera happily took off. He was just thinking about protecting his beloved Juudaime when Tsuna came running with bees following close behind. Poor Tsuna's face was swollen here and there with bee stings.

It was time to put Gokudera's pledge to test. All fired up inside, Gokudera lighted his bombs and attempted to blow away all of the bees. But…

"GAAAAHHHHHHH!" Tsuna's scream was heard all throughout Namimori. After all, bombs were about ten times the size of bees.

* * *

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gokudera repeated the bowing motion and his apologies over and over in besides the bed that Tsuna rested on.

Tsuna had bandages all over his body. Gokudera was ashamed of himself. Not only did he not save Juudaime, he hurt Juudaime even more! He felt even worse when Tsuna smiled at him and said that it wasn't his fault.

"Don't be so nice, Tsuna-kun! Of course it's his fault!" Yotsuba said casually, "Anyone in the world would know that bees are smaller than bombs!"

Her words were like salt on Gokudera's wounds. His head shot up toward Yotsuba and he sent his infamous glares. Yotsuba stared at him as if he wasn't emitting any murder intent. Tsuna looked at his two friends nervously; he didn't need anymore battle scars on his body!

"Gokudera, would you like to get stronger?" Reborn asked suddenly. Tsuna immediately got a bad feeling.

"Of course! I would do anything to get stronger!" Gokudera looked at Reborn hopefully.

"Then you'd probably be interested in attending my special Power-Up Training Session!" Reborn said, smirking, clearly up to something.

"Training under Reborn-san?" Gokudera didn't even need to consider. "I'll do it!"

"Good!" Reborn said, "And where do you think you're going, Yotsuba?"

Yotsuba twitched as she made a stop in front of the door. Putting on a sheepish smile as she turned around, she shrugged. "Um… I think I'll pass on the training session…"

"Baka!" Reborn said as he pointed a gun at Yotsuba's head, "The one who needs the most training here is you!"

Yotsuba gulped at the shiny gun and gave up on any further objections.

* * *

Being able to train under Reborn was a high honor for Gokudera, but having to train with baseball idiot and the dense girl was another story. He wanted to get stronger as fast as he could. Why did Reborn HAVE to start with baseball idiot? The fact that the baseball idiot was doing quite well aggravated him. Studying Tsuna's impressed expression, Gokudera wanted to get on with his training so that he could show Tsuna his strength.

Finally Reborn led them to an empty classroom for Gokudera's training. Tsuna was worried about what kind of weird training method Reborn is going to use on Gokudera; Gokudera was excited; Yotsuba was daydreaming; Kyoko was still interested and not very sure what was going on. Reborn started explaining the different ways of training, and Gokudera, of course, wanted to train every aspect simultaneously like what Yamamoto was doing. Reborn rejected and Gokudera was forced to train with a bowl of ramen and I-Pin.

At the smell of the ramen soup Yotsuba woke up. Tsuna explained to Yotsuba that Gokudera's task was to eat the ramen while I-Pin attacked him with her Gyoza Fist. Yotsuba watched Gokudera with interest. On his first try, Gokudera's arm twisted and the strands of noodle were thrown to his back. Upon seeing this, Yotsuba's right hand shot up to her mouth. She seemed to be pained by restraining her own laughter; whereas Tsuna and Kyoko worried about Gokudera. On his second try, Gokudera's head went straight into the ramen bowl, causing Yotsuba to burst out in laughter.

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna cried concernedly, "Reborn, I think we should stop here!"

"No! No! Please continue!" Yotsuba managed to say in between laughter.

Gokudera glowered at Yotsuba, thinking that he'll have to kill her along with his alarm clock later, said to Reborn, "Reborn-san, please continue! I have to get stronger no matter what!"

"Of course!" Reborn smirked, signaling I-Pin to continue with the Gyoza Fist. Just as I-Pin was ready to make her move, Lambo jumped out of nowhere. Mistaking Lambo as a broccoli monster again, I-Pin released her Gyoza Fist a lot stronger than she needed.

This time, Gokudera burned Tsuna with the ramen soup. Kyoko gasped with concern. Yotsuba rolled on the floor laughing. Gokudera started to bow and apologize violently again, and Tsuna screamed from the pain.

The window slid open. Yamamoto and Dino looked in. "What's going on here? We heard some screaming."

"Yamamoto!" Tsuna exclaimed, "We're saved!"

Gokudera twitched. Yotsuba stopped laughing as she noticed. As Dino complimented on how good Yamamoto was, Gokudera walked out of the room quietly with a slumped back. Tsuna looked on to Gokudera's retrieving back confusedly, wanting to go after Gokudera but Reborn stopped him. Even Yamamoto was confused about Gokudera's strange exit. The room gained an awkward silence.

"Saa," Reborn broke the silence first, "It's time for your task, Yotsuba!"

"What?" Yotsuba jumped, "You weren't kidding when you said that?"

Reborn put on a dangerous face, "If I were kidding I wouldn't be pointing a gun at you, would I?"

Yotsuba didn't say anything, accepting her fate. No one could go against Reborn's evilness after all. Reborn smirked and ordered Leon to jump on Yotsuba's hands. Yotsuba stared at Leon curiously.

"Yotsuba, you're pretty weak overall, due to your natural illness. But what you need to train most on is your strength and stamina." Reborn explained patiently. "And do you know what the best training for those two aspects is?"

"Um…" Yotsuba thought for a while, deciding not to answer with "running" since Gokudera already got it wrong before, "The ramen-eating exercise?"

"No, stupid!" Reborn said as he kicked Yotsuba on the head, "Of course it's running!"

Yotsuba opened her mouth to retort, but decided not to for her own good. Tsuna seemed to think the same thing beside her.

"Now, all you have to do is carry Leon and run all the way to find Gokudera and bring him back!" Reborn said. "And if you stop running, Leon will report back to me!"

"Isn't that easy?" Yotsuba said. However, right when she finished saying that, Leon transformed into a gigantic, green rock with eyes. Yotsuba was immediately brought down by the weight, bending her knees and her arms stretched straight. "Damn you, Reborn!"

"Do you want Leon to be heavier?"

"No!" Yotsuba answered quickly, running off to find the silver-haired boy.

* * *

Gokudera sat alone on a swing in the park. His eyebrows were tied into so many knots it could be made into a maze. The fingers that grasped the chains on the swing were so tight that his knuckles turned white. He was mad at himself. It was obvious that Tsuna would rather have Yamamoto as his right-hand man. The way Tsuna's voice relaxed when Yamamoto appeared explains everything. He just couldn't understand why. He's tried so hard to protect Tsuna, but all he's ever done was making things worse.

"_With you throwing your bombs around, I think Tsuna-kun would die first in your hands before any assassin can get the chance!" _

Yotsuba's harsh words played back in his head. No matter how much he'd like to admit it, Yotsuba was right. He acted too fast with everything, not thinking of the result. And, in the end, hurting Juudaime instead of protecting him. Maybe Yamamoto IS a better right-hand man that he is. Maybe even Yotsuba. She's never hurt Tsuna before.

"There you are!"

Gokudera's head rose to the lucid voice of the female running toward him. All he saw first were very sloppy footsteps and a huge rock covering the first half of the girl's body. As she stopped in front of him, the huge rock decreased in size and turned back to Leon. Gokudera wasn't much surprised when he saw that the girl was Yotsuba. She was probably here to make fun of him, although he didn't know why she would bring Leon along.

Yotsuba was bent down and she was gasping for air. She was sweating like she's been to the desert. Yotsuba glared at Gokudera. "You… You bastard! Why… why… did you… have to come… all the… way… over here?"

Gokudera raised an eyebrow. He barely understood what she said. Yotsuba sighed exasperatedly and stumbled to the swing next to Gokudera. Finally sitting down, Yotsuba took a few deep breathes and continued to address Gokudera.

"Well, now that I've found you, it's time for us to go back to Tsuna-kun!"

Gokudera put on a surprised look. "Juudaime doesn't want me there, anyway. He has Yamamoto."

Yotsuba gawked at Gokudera incredulously. "I thought you wanted to be Tsuna's right-hand man!"

Gokudera remained silent, unwilling to say anymore. Yotsuba stared at him. Her expression was getting softer as she watched Gokudera quietly sulked by himself. _There is no need to do that… when you are…_

"I really wish that… I could by like you, Gokudera-kun." Yotsuba uttered quietly, earning a strange look from Gokudera. "I wish I was brave like you. And always there to protect Tsuna-kun. Unlike me, I always stood at the sideline, not doing anything to protect my treasures."

_My daddy… my Nii-chan… I'm sorry. I couldn't protect either of you because I was too weak. I was too weak in my will. Daddy had to suffer. Nii-chan had to suffer. And now Nii-chan changed because I was useless. I guess I had it coming. And yet I've cowered again, trying to find a new sky under Sawada Tsunayoshi._

"Tsuna-kun is really lucky to have all of you as friends!" Yotsuba said, gazing up at the red and orange sky. Gokudera stared at the bittersweet smile on Yotsuba's face and looked away. _What a stupid woman._

"Che!" Gokudera made a short laugh through his nose, "Haven't you heard that if you want to cheer someone up, you've got to be cheerful yourself?"

"I don't think a person who'd just made a fool out of himself with ramen should be scolding me."

"Shu-shut up!"

* * *

"Yocchan!"

Yotsuba was just about to go home when Dino called after her. Yotsuba grumbled as she stopped her footsteps. She was ready to go home and crash, after all that running and Leon-carrying. It was probably the most energy-draining task she has ever done in the past. Most of the time when Yotsuba went on missions for Vongola, it was Kabi who did all the physical work. Yotsuba almost rolled her eyes as she watched Dino run up to her with his sheepish smile. _Show off… I'd run right now if I could._

Dino pressed an icy-cool bottle of water onto Yotsuba's cheek, startling her. "Tired?"

Yotsuba glared at Dino for asking the question and snatched the bottle from his hand, placing it on her other cheek. "You really can't see it for yourself?"

Dino smiled warmly at the younger girl. "I'll give a ride home."

Yotsuba beamed at Dino in contrast of her previous attitude toward him. Dino laughed at Yotsuba's change in face expression as he motioned for Romario to get the car started.

"It surprised me when you brought Hurricane Bomb back today. I thought you guys would have an argument for sure!"

_We did._ Yotsuba thought. "There's nothing difficult about that. He's just a child."

"Says the most childish person I know!"

Yotsuba chose to ignore what Dino said and just drank her water. Dino laughed again and ruffled her hair. "Just kidding. Yocchan tried so hard today… I'm really proud of you! You looked really cool back there, coming back with Gokudera peacefully."

"Thanks, Dino." Yotsuba smiled. "Unlike you, I'm actually being productive!"

"Hey! I had to squeeze time out of all the important things I had to do so I could come here, you know?"

"Just to play in that baseball-shooting tank? I feel sorry for your Family, Dino!"

"Yocchan!" Dino whined.

Before Yotsuba could say anything her body gave out. Falling backwards as sleep took over her, Dino caught her before she made contact with the ground. Dino sighed at the troublesome girl, but he could not wipe off the smile from his face.

_Sleep, Yocchan, because__ it's okay to be weak and cry sometimes._

* * *

**TBC.**

A/N: Man, this is such a short chapter! In case you haven't noticed, Yotsuba addresses people with their family names when she's serious… it's kind of like an unconscious act? Yeah, so it's not that I'm being inconsistent.

Please review, review, review! Because that's what keeps me going!


	7. Eagle

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 7: Eagle**

"_Daddy!" _

_The white-haired, old man smiled lovingly at Yotsuba._

"_Nii-chan!"_

_The red-eyed youth placed a strong hand on Yotsuba's shoulder. _

_Yotsuba laughed. So pleasantly that everything else around the three of them seems to be fading. It was their own world. She loved them. They loved her. She held onto their hands tightly._

"_Don't be a fool," a voice said, "You don't really belong here…"  
_

* * *

As December arrived the streets of Namimori began look more and more empty gradually. They say that the coldest time during the day is the early morning, and the only people that are walking on the street at that time are the students of Namimori. The students wrapped their arms around their bodies, pulled at their scarves so that most of their neck is covered, and walked slowly against the chilly wind. For some students, December is a fun-filled month, because in a couple of weeks the winter vacation will start and it'll be the end of another year. For other students, like Sawada Tsunayoshi, December is the most dreadful month, because December meant final exams; failing final exams meant after-school make-up exams; failing make-up exams meant flunking a year; and flunking a year meant humiliation in front of Kyoko.

Although Tsuna is quite scared of Gokudera most of the time, December is the month when Tsuna wished for Gokudera's brains. It's surprising to Tsuna that a person like Gokudera could be so smart. I guess the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" is most suited for the devoted Gokudera. Honestly, Tsuna was really grateful that Gokudera had tutored him for the last two weeks, but he just doesn't seem to get it. Reborn had tried to teach him too, but there was always a death penalty and Tsuna won't even survive through one question. Then Yotsuba offered to help tutor him, but she spent most of her time arguing with Gokudera and her grades weren't that much better than him anyway.

What Tsuna really wanted was to be tutored by Kyoko. Tsuna sighed as he entered room 1-A and saw Kyoko's cute smile. Looking at Kyoko always made him feel happy. _I'm going to try my best_, Tsuna thought, _so I can be in the same class with Kyoko-chan next year!_

"Good morning, Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko greeted him happily. "Are you nervous about the exams today?"

"Good morning, Kyoko-chan!" Tsuna blushed. "Yeah, a little bit."

"I'm so nervous, too!" Kyoko said, but her smile doesn't make her seem nervous at all.

"Juudaime! Don't worry; I'll help you on the exams!" Gokudera winked at Tsuna and raised a thumb.

Tsuna smiled sourly, "No, Gokudera-kun! Cheating is bad!"

"Oh…" Gokudera pondered on Tsuna's words, "Then I'll just threaten the teacher with my bombs!"

_THAT'S NOT THE SOLUTION EITHER!_ Tsuna thought as he watched Gokudera's assuring expression. Tsuna looked at Yamamoto who has a pretty bad grade also, but Yamamoto doesn't seem to be the least nervous. Well, Yamamoto is too clueless to be nervous, anyway. Then he looked toward Yotsuba, who is supposed to be smart but has horrible grades. Tsuna gawked at the sleeping girl; she even brought a pillow! Once again, Tsuna laments on the weirdness of his friends.

* * *

_Easy. Easy. Easy. This is a waste of my time_, thought Gokudera as his pencil soared through the test paper on mathematics. When he was finished with the whole thing there was still forty minutes of class time. He heedlessly leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs on the desk, and plugged earphones into his ears. The teacher frowned at Gokudera's actions, but with on condescending stare from him the teacher backed down.

Unconsciously, Gokudera's gaze drifted to the left of him. The black-haired, sleepy girl had her head on the table. The test paper under her crossed arms had only five questions filled in. Gokudera felt anger boil inside him. This girl is too lackadaisical. He hated this kind of people, just like he hates Yamamoto. He just doesn't understand why Reborn-san allows them to be a part of Vongola. At this rate, what will the future of Vongola become? He remembered that when he was a kid, the tough and older guys made fun of him, saying that no mafia will accept a weak boy like him. He worked hard, then. So much harder than anyone else, and he was so happy when Tsuna, the future boss of the biggest famiglia in history, accept him.

Has anyone tried harder than him? No. He sent another scornful glare at Yotsuba when he thought that. But he remembered their conversation that they had the other day at the park. There was something despondent in her eyes when she talked that day. Like she was really talking to someone else and not him. Someone from a bad memory, perhaps.

But whatever it was, she seems to be of no harm to his Juudaime as of now. Still, he wonders if he could put that much trust in her.

* * *

"Tsuna-kun, how did you do?" Kyoko asked when the testing was finally over. Students stood up exhaustedly from their seats and packed their bags, ready to go home and rest.

"Ah… not so well…" Tsuna put on a sour smile as he scratched the back of his neck. He didn't want to lie to Kyoko, but he had no choice. Because, really, he did terrible. Yamamoto patted Tsuna on the back.

"Ahaha! It's all right, Tsuna!" Yamamoto laughed. "I didn't do well either! I rolled my pencil to get the answers!"

"Baseball idiot! Don't compare yourself to Juudaime!" Gokudera growled.

"Mm? School's over already?" Yotsuba moaned as she straightened her back in her seat. She stretched out her legs and rubbed her heavy eyes.

"You finally woke up, Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna eyed the girl worriedly. She seemed to have slept through the whole school day, only awake for about ten minutes. Although it's confirmed that Yotsuba needed more sleep than anyone, but normally she wouldn't have to sleep for the whole day.

Yotsuba's eyelids fluttered. Her back slumped and the limbs seem to have lost their bones. Even after a whole day of sleeping, Yotsuba was still not fully energetic. She contemplated in her mind whether or not to answer Tsuna. She really didn't feel like she has the energy to. She was fully aware of her strange sleepiness today. It bothered her a lot, because it's not the first day that she's felt this kind of fatigue. Her body's been getting tired more and more easily ever since last week. She could not understand why, though. The dream that she had last night troubled her. But it was a dream, what could it possibly be?

"OI! Stupid woman! Juudaime's asking you a question!" Gokudera snapped at the daydreaming girl. The expression Yotsuba had a second ago scared him. The pupils that showed through the small opening between her eyelids had no color. It almost made him think that if he hadn't called her, she would've disappeared.

Yotsuba jerked suddenly upon hearing Gokudera's voice. She frowned. "I heard him. You don't have to yell so loudly, octopus-head!"

A vein popped out on Gokudera's forehead. "You…! You better watch your attitude, woman!"

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna immediately stepped, knowing too well Gokudera's character. "It's okay! Just drop it!"

Gokudera glared at Yotsuba, "You're lucky Juudaime is so generous! No one else here can put up with you!"

Yotsuba's head shot up and her body seems to have frozen. Along with her expression. Tsuna immediately noticed something wrong. He moved in front of the stupefied girl and shook her a little, calling out her name several times. But the girl didn't move, though. Her head lowered and her bangs covered her eyes. Tsuna frowned at this sight. It must have been something that Gokudera said that triggered Yotsuba. But what could it be? Usually she's not the kind to be shaken by other people's words.

A student from the second year came through the doorway. He was quite a handsome student, having a sweet smile and clean attire. Tsuna and his friends made way for the senpai as he approached Yotsuba. Politely, he reached out a hand to her.

"Mikami-kun," the boy said, "I'm Ishikawa Hiroshi from 2-B. I was wondering, if you're free, would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?"

Tsuna and his friends were shocked at this sudden invitation.

The boy named Ishikawa, seeing that Yotsuba hasn't answered, moved closer to her. "Don't worry, Mikami-kun! I promise I'll treat you nicely!"

Yotsuba finally opened her mouth. But since she kept her head low, no one could make out what she had just said.

"…"

"Eh? What was that?"

Ishikawa's gentle smile suddenly shifted to one of horror when Yotsuba raised her head. She glanced at him with the coldest eyes he has ever seen on any girl. Everyone else was just as shocked as Ishikawa.

"Shut up…" Yotsuba said in a deadly low voice. "So noisy… if you don't shut up, I'm going to kill you, barbarian!"

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped about ten degrees. Everyone had their mouths wide open, but none could say anything. What happened to the cool, nonchalant Yotsuba? Is this her true character? Yotsuba shot them another death glare and everyone backed away. It was like Moses parting the Red Sea again. As if making ice over the path she walked, Yotsuba left the classroom without turning back.

* * *

Test scores were available the next day; students crowded in front of the bulletin board to see their grades. Tsuna squeezed in between pushing students and found the list of 1-A. His face became darker and darker each time he scanned the score sheet. No matter how many times he looked through it, his name was not there! Tsuna gulped and glanced toward the list on the very far end. The list for the failing grades. Tsuna slowly moved in front of that list; there was barely anyone standing in front of this one! It was like a thunder had struck him, Tsuna's shoulders slumped when he saw his name, along with Yamamoto and Yotsuba's, was on the "Failed" list. On the bottom of the list, it read:

"Attention! If your name is written on this list, it is mandatory for you to stay after school today for make-up exams. If you do not show up at this exam, you will be held back a year. Good luck."

"Eh? I have to stay here today?" Yotsuba's voice traveled from behind Tsuna, making him jump.

Tsuna studied her appearance. She doesn't seem to be in a bad mood. But still, he should be careful. Girls are very unpredictable creatures, after all. "Yotsuba-chan… You're not mad anymore?"

"Mad?" Yotsuba's face showed no sign of anger. "At what? This? No, I'm just sad that I won't be able to go home and sleep right away today…"

Before Tsuna can say anything, Yamamoto came up behind them. "Yo! Tsuna, Mikami! It seems like the three of us are the only ones taking the make-up this year!"

Yotsuba pouted her lips, "I really thought there would be more people. It can't be just us that fail the final exams!"

"Mikami, that's where you're wrong! Final exams are the exams that you definitely should not fail!" Yamamoto said despite the big smile on his face, "Don't tell me you don't know…"

"About what?" both Yotsuba and Tsuna asked curiously.

"Tsuna doesn't know either?" Yamamoto said. "The supervisor for the after school make-up session… is the Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Hibari Kyouya!"

* * *

"_Daddy?"_

_Silence._

"_Nii-chan?"_

_Silence._

"_Who are you calling, little clover?" _

"_My family… where is my family?"_

"_What family?" There was a tint of amusement in the foreign voice. "You've never had a family…"_

"…_?"_

"_You're alone, little clover… You'll always be alone…"_

* * *

The silence in 1-A after school was nerve-racking for Tsuna. The only sound audible was the dropping and rolling of Yamamoto's pencil. Tsuna didn't dare to look at what Yamamoto is doing, though. One wandering glance to anywhere other than the test paper could cause him a lot of PHYSICAL pain. Tsuna didn't need to look up to feel the sharp eyes of Hibari Kyouya. The sun was setting and the temperature was dropping rather quickly. Tsuna felt like a prey being watched by an eagle's eyes.

Hibari was, of course, not in a very good mood. If it weren't for Reborn's offer to find him a good prey, he wouldn't be here supervising these failures. Hibari yawned for the tenth time since school ended. Not being able to go home and sleep irritated him. Seeing Yotsuba sleeping at her desk irritated him even more. When both Yamamoto and Tsuna were done with the exams Yotsuba was still sleeping there.

_YOTSUBA-CHAN! WAKE UP!_ Tsuna cried in his head.

Hibari's eyes went from the unknowing girl to the boys standing there. "What are you guys still doing here? Get out!"

Yamamoto took a step forward, "We're waiting for Mikami!"

Hibari's eyes had no emotions. "Leave now or… I'll bite you to death!"

"Heeee!" Tsuna shrieked and grabbed Yamamoto, pulling him out of the classroom as quickly as possible. Hibari stared at the door that was left open coldly. Tsuna's panicking screams could still be heard when they were already two staircases down. Hibari almost smirked at the weak herbivores that ran from his sight. His eyes went back to the sleeping girl with interest.

_This girl has some nerve… sleeping under my supervision…_ Hibari thought. Two tonfa slid into his hands as he slowly approached Yotsuba's desk. His eyes have found a prey.

* * *

_Shut up… _

There was a buzzing noise inside of Yotsuba's head. It was getting louder and louder. It made her silly, made her mad, anxious, and exhausted.

_So loud… So noisy…_

_Zmmmmmm… Zmmmmmm…_

_Shut up…_

"Mikami Yotsuba."

_Zmmmmmm… Zmmmmmm…_

_Shut up…_

"Oi…"

_Shut up!_

The moment Yotsuba opened her eyes she backed away instantly. The first thing she saw was Hibari's towering body over hers and his tonfa raised just above her head. The next thing she noticed was that the buzzing in her head was gone. She wondered what made the noise go away. Maybe Hibari was so terrifying that even the evil thing in her mind cowered at his tonfa. Yotsuba stared into Hibari's cold eyes and then cautiously eyed his two tonfa. There was something else in Hibari's eyes, though. A little bit of surprise, perhaps.

Just when Yotsuba was getting confused, Hibari lowered his tonfa, which made her even more confused. Hibari raised an eyebrow at the oblivious girl. He prodded at Yotsuba's cheek with the tip of his tonfa a little bit too roughly, and made Yotsuba squint her eyes.

_What is this guy trying to do? _Yotsuba frowned at the raven-haired boy's actions. Yotsuba was even more bewildered when Hibari stopped the prodding on her cheek and shoved the tonfa in front of her eyes. It was wet. Yotsuba put her hand to her cheek. _I was crying?_

Then Yotsuba remembered the voice. The voice that haunted her in her dreams. What bothered her was that the voice sounded so familiar. It made her weak in the knees. It made her feel a kind of dejection so heavy that forced out her tears which had been hidden away for so long. Yotsuba started crying then. Soundlessly and motionlessly as if the tears were just falling by themselves.

Hibari puckered his eyebrows. Seeing Yotsuba cry made him feel goaded. It was as if there were ten heaters running at the highest temperature at the same time.

_This herbivore… what is she doing to me? _

Yotsuba was still engrossed in her thoughts until Hibari's tonfa made contact with her wet cheek. Fiercely, this time. The unsuspecting girl was sent across the room with one swing. Her body crashed with some desks and chairs with a loud crack.

_Oh crap! I hope that wasn't any part of my body just now!_ Yotsuba thought, completely forgetting about the voice. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR, KYOUYA?"

_Now she's crying because she's hurt,_ thought Hibari. _Good._

"Ah!" Yotsuba exclaimed, suddenly remembering that she was here because she needed to take a make-up exam. Yotsuba looked at Hibari guiltily. "Kyouya… the exam…" _I didn't answer ANYTHING._

Hibari yawned and sent her an indifferent expression. He's had enough of this make-up session. He wanted to go to sleep right now. He turned and started to walk away, leaving Yotsuba gawking. Before he exited the open door, he stopped and looked back at Yotsuba.

"Clean up your mess," he said languidly, eyeing the fallen desks and chairs. "And pay for that broken chair."

Hibari left. Yotsuba had to resist the urge to stalk him burn down his house. Although, she has to admit that she is a little thankful that Hibari had chased away the haunting voice in her head. Silently, Yotsuba started to lift up the desks and chairs. A smile on her face as she worked.

_Thanks, Kyouya…_

* * *

TBC.

A/N: Ah~ an update! This is quicker than I expected! I actually have a lot of things to say. First, I have a question. I'm totally new at this, so the "anonymous review" thing… is it okay to enable it? I mean, there must be something fishy with it since it's default was disabled, right? I am so confused. But for now, I've enabled it. Please don't tell me I'm gonna get spammed for this or something.

Anyway… so I figured that there's still gonna be a good five or more chapters until the Kokuyou Conflict… so since I'm running out of ideas for pairings, I'll be happy to take requests for any pairings that anyone wants to see! Um, well, I don't know how well that's gonna work out, but let's just try this, ne! So for anyone that REALLY wants to see a certain pairing, make your request!

And lastly, PLEASE REVIEW! XD


	8. Tell Me Your Story

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 8: Tell Me Your Story**

A/N: I think I forgot to clarify something for the last chapter. Does everyone remember the "voice" in Yotsuba's dreams in the last chapter? The voice kept calling her "little clover". That's because "Yotsuba" in Japanese literally means "four leaves", hence the nick name of "little clover". Kind of like Hibari and skylark.

* * *

_All I can do for you _

_Is grip your little, frozen hand_

_But I'll be by your side forever, forever_

_That's my gift to you_

* * *

"_Little clover… little clover…"_

"_It's you again." Yotsuba muttered, "Who are you?"_

"_You don't know me, but I know you." The voice said eerily, "I can see your past. I can see everything about you."_

_Yotsuba jerked around and around to find the source of the voice. "Who are you? Who are you? Show yourself!"_

"_Little clover… sweet, little clover…" the voice cooed, "Remember your father? Your cowardly father? Remember how he left you and your mother? You want to know what he's doing now?"_

"_My daddy is not that kind of man!"_

"_Oh, you poor thing." The voice said with a false sympathy, "I know that you remember. You must remember… your first father…"_

_Yotsuba felt scared. "Just who are you? Why do you know that?"_

"_Your father didn't love you, little clover." There was a little tint of laughter in the voice. "Neither does your new daddy. Do you really think he does?"_

"_Shut up… shut up… shut up…"_

* * *

Yotsuba woke up to the sound of door knocks. She sighed. The bright, morning sun of spring lit up Yotsuba's room in a serene embrace. The fresh air that gushed through the window as Yotsuba opened it almost made her dream unreal. In her dream there was nothing except for a voice. A haunting voice that had lingered inside of Yotsuba's mind for longer than a month now. Yotsuba was wrong when she thought that the voice was gone after Hibari had scared it off. To her dismay, it came back the very next day, and all through the New Years holidays. This leaves daylight as Yotsuba's only escape. Sometimes it was even hard for her to go to sleep, in fear of the voice. Yotsuba didn't go get the door until it was knocked on a second time.

The clock read 6:30, and the sun was barely up. Yotsuba grumbled; she was getting less and less sleep. She stood on her tiptoes to look through the fish hole on the door, and in front of her eyes was Dino's golden finery. She contemplated whether or not to open the door, but decided to open it rather quickly. As she pulled the door open completely, Dino stepped up in front of her and greeted her with his charming smile. The smile soon dropped, though, when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

"Yocchan, what happened?" Dino asked, "Did I wake you?"

Yotsuba shook her head and stepped back to let Dino in. Dino frowned. The girl's face looked too pale, almost gray, to be fine. _For a fifteen-year-old girl with health issues to live on her own is ridiculous, _thought Dino. Yotsuba was the kind of hardheaded girl that rarely listens to other people's opinions. Dino knows that there is no way Yotsuba will listen to him and go back to Italy, and, truthfully, Dino thinks that having her on Tsuna's side would be good for the future. But looking at the girl's dreadful state makes Dino worried.

Dino sat in the armchair as Yotsuba made breakfast. She passed him a cup of coffee and sat down across from him with a cup of her own. As expected, Dino asked about her welfare again and Yotsuba looked down into her cup. Her thumb stroked the ring of her mug, as if that motion made her feel better. Dino placed his cup on the table and looked at her sternly.

"Yocchan," he began, "don't avoid it. You know you can tell it to me."

"Nothing's wrong, Dino. I've just been having a few nightmares," said Yotsuba warily.

"If you need anything, I'll be here," said Dino. _Even if it's just my company, I'll be here._

"Thanks, Dino."

Then there was silence between them. Both of them drank their coffee and looked down. Yotsuba stopped fingering her cup and her eyes stopped at the corner of the table. Dino looked into his cup, stealing glances at the girl every other minute, unknowing what to say to her. It makes Dino quite frustrated, actually, that it's so hard for him to talk to her sometimes. It was as if he was the younger one. Can you believe it? An adult, fierce leader of Chiavarrone, is fixed by a little middle-school girl? Even after all these years, he still couldn't figure what to say to make her feel happy.

What Dino doesn't know is that Yotsuba actually felt really happy at the moment. Although acting childish most of the time, Dino is quite a person to count on. Year after year, Yotsuba unconsciously started to depend on him. Sometimes she even thinks that the clumsy and silly Dino is cuter than the serious Dino. But Yotsuba isn't the kind of girl that's easy to read; she liked to keep most things to herself.

Yotsuba was the first to break the silence. "So why have you come all of a sudden? At this hour, too."

"I heard that it's Parent Participation Day at school today," said Dino.

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at Dino, who smiled mischievously at her, like a little kid.

"Dino," said Yotsuba seriously, "you're not coming."

Dino stood from his chair and sat next to Yotsuba on the little couch, still having that childish smile. "Yocchan, I'm the closest person to a parent that you have here! You might as well take me!"

Yotsuba rolled her eyes. "I don't HAVE to have a parent there. You'll just embarrass me!"

"No, I won't!" Dino pouted. Yotsuba thought that this picture looked as if she was the mother of this blonde boy. She rejected Dino again and again, swapping Dino's pleading hands away. Finally, after a good ten minutes, Dino decided to quit.

"Are you sure you don't want me there?" Dino asked again as he was being pushed toward the front door.

"You make tracks, Dino," Yotsuba huffed. "I'm sure you have more important things to do."

"Nothing is more important than family," said Dino.

She didn't say anything to reply. Dino smiled.

"You take care, Yocchan," Dino said as he stepped out the door, giving Yotsuba a knowing glance, and left.

Yotsuba listened to Dino's fading footsteps, staring at the sad, metal door frame while doing so. In her mind, she thanked him secretly. Then she hobbled sleepily up the stairs, checking the time to be 7:30. _Darn, _she thought, _time to go to school._ As Yotsuba put on her uniform and her un-matching shorts, she considered Dino's words a bit more. Parents Participation Day… what a bother. The Japanese sure are enthusiastic. Well, she hasn't ever attended school in Italy before, but this special occasion seemed useless to her. Even if her daddy was here, he probably wouldn't have the time to go, anyway.

_But it would be nice, wouldn't it?_

* * *

The chairs and desks in 1-A were all pushed forward a couple of feet to make room for the parents in the back. Most of the students seemed to think the same about Parent Participation Day as Yotsuba. Parents chatted in the back, denying other parents' compliments to their child yet boasting at the same time. The only parents not present were Yotsuba's, Gokudera's, and Tsuna's. Gokudera seemed to be annoyed at all the parents' chatters, and Tsuna seemed to be nervous about something. Yotsuba soon found out what Tsuna was nervous about as the classroom door slid open.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Sawada Nana came into the classroom chirpily, "I'm Sawada!"

Tsuna's jaws dropped and a doomed emotion eloped him. Yotsuba almost laughed aloud. The teacher cleared his throat, signaling that class is going to start. The teacher had a cheeky smile on his face.

"Now for the first question," the teacher said, "I'm going to pick on the person weakest at math!"

Yotsuba felt Tsuna tense up next to her. Then she felt Tsuna slump into his chair in relieve when the teacher called on Yamamoto. Yamamoto was suddenly in a pinch, but he just shrugged and answered with "1/2". The teacher began to scold Yamamoto for guessing, but stopped when he found out that Yamamoto actually guessed right. The whole class applauded and rooted for Yamamoto, and Yamamoto put his hands happily up in the air.

"Good job, Takeshi! We'll have Otoro tonight!" a rough and strong voice came shouting from the back of the room. All the students turned around, including Yotsuba, to see Yamamoto's father cheer for him. Yamamoto scratched the back of his head with embarrassment.

The students laughed. Yotsuba chuckled softly at the liveliness of Yamamoto's father. _Like father like son, _she thought. For a moment, she felt jealous of Yamamoto for having a father like that. She wondered if her father would cheer her on if it had been her that answered the question correctly. _"I'm glad you came back safely, Yotsuba," _is what her father would say to her every time after a mission.

_I wonder… if daddy will ever think of me as a normal girl…_

* * *

Yamamoto watched with interest as a half-naked Tsuna tried to teach the class "as if he was to die". This year's Parent Participation Day had been spectacular. First, the cow-suited boy and the Chinese girl came, and then Gokudera's sister came, too. Gokudera, of course, suffered from stomach ache again when he saw Bianchi. Then a very young teacher named Reboyama came in as a substitute teacher, and Tsuna seemed to have gotten very emotional at this teacher. Among all of the chaos in the classroom, Yamamoto glanced toward Yotsuba's direction, only to find the girl sleeping again.

_Mikami's parents are not here, _he noticed, and remembered that the girl lived on her own. One thing lead to another, and the memory of that one strange day emerged. The day of the year-end exam, when Yotsuba snapped at a senpai.

That day was very strange, indeed. When the senpai named Ishikawa asked Yotsuba out on a date, it was astonishing that the usual smart-tongued Yotsuba would lose her cool. Not so much by the rudeness of Yotsuba's tone, but the sincere hatred seen in her eyes. Even if Yotsuba didn't like the senpai in that way, she didn't have to be that hostile. Although Yotsuba has never been the friendliest girl he's ever met, he has never seen that kind of annoyance from her eyes.

"Uwoooo! You can't even get this right?" Even Tsuna's loud voice went right through one of Yamamoto's ears and out the other.

It's quite rare that Yamamoto would ponder for such a long time about something. But the longer he stared at Yotsuba, the more confused he got. Isn't Yotsuba the one that always bickers with Gokudera with ease? Isn't she the one that picks on Tsuna every other minute? Isn't she the one that came back unharmed after the after-school-session with Hibari alone? If so, then why did she have that kind of expression on that day? It was as if someone was controlling her mind.

_That wouldn't be possible, _concluded Yamamoto. Thinking really isn't a talent of his; the more he thought, the more puzzling the problem becomes. _Maybe she's just lonely._

* * *

"_Little clover… little clover…"_

"_Stop it!" cried Yotsuba, "Who ARE you?"_

"_Your parents didn't love you… your daddy doesn't love you… neither does your brother…" the voice chanted. _

"_Shut up! I… I don't care about what you say!"_

"_Everything I say is true," the voice snickered. "All your life you've been trapped in the world of mafias… did you really think you can find happiness there?"_

"…"

"_Little clover…" there was a touch of sorrow in the voice, "don't be fooled… don't be fooled…"_

"_Why? Why? Why?" _

* * *

"Mikami!"

Yamamoto's voice fetched Yotsuba back out from her dream. She looked around. There was only Yamamoto and her in the classroom. From the color of the sky, she figured that school must've ended. Yotsuba frowned. Frowning was something that she's been doing frequently now. But this time she did not frown from the frustration of the voice. The voice had sounded a bit sad just ?

"Mikami, are you all right?" asked Yamamoto.

Yotsuba nodded absent-mindedly. Yamamoto didn't give it much thought.

"Mikami," Yamamoto asked, "My dad is preparing Otoro for tonight. I was wondering if you want to join us?"

"Eh?"

"Tsuna and Gokudera and the others would be there, too!" added Yamamoto happily.

Dazzled by Yamamoto's smile, Yotsuba was at a loss of words. Yamamoto looked at Yotsuba expectantly, his excited face making Yotsuba want to laugh.

_Little clover… don't be fooled… don't be fooled…_

Yotsuba opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. A buzzing noise invaded her head. She clutched at her ears with her fingers, making Yamamoto befuddled. He grabbed onto her shoulders and shook her softly, asking if she was okay. When Yotsuba wanted to speak again, the buzzing became a loud screeching. So loud that it made her gasp.

Yamamoto called out her name over and over; her strange acts were making him worried. She was clutching at her ears so hard that they might be pulled off from her head. It seemed as if she didn't want to hear something, but the classroom was quiet. He loosened his grasp on her shoulders and grabbed her hands instead, seeing that her ears were turning a scarlet color.

"SH—SHUT UP!" screamed Yotsuba. Yamamoto backed away a little, looking bewildered. Yotsuba glanced at Yamamoto with an apologizing look, panting heavily.

"Mikami?"

"I'm… I'm okay!" Yotsuba forced a smile. Yamamoto noticed Yotsuba's shaking hands on the edge of the table.

"You've been acting a little strangely recently," said Yamamoto bluntly. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

Yotsuba looked at Yamamoto, but did not reply. _My, my, _she thought, _was it so obvious? _Even someone as dense as Yamamoto can notice it.

"You know, if anything, you can talk to me about it," Yamamoto said, a smile back to his face. "I know I'm not the smartest guy, but it's not hard to listen."

Yotsuba felt her lungs tighten, then. She wanted to say it. She wanted to say it badly. Yamamoto will understand, won't he? She can be a part of this world, can't she?

"I'm afraid," said Yotsuba, still with that same smile. Yamamoto only paid attention to Yotsuba's shaking hands, and then to her shivering body. "I'm afraid that… one day you guys will reject me."

She had the perfect family. Until her father left her mother and her; ran away. Then her mother left her; didn't take her along. Then _he_ found her. _He_ took her in; gave her a new family and the best brother she could ask for. She was happy. It was like soaking in warm water. But then came _power_. _Power_ took her brother away; she drowned. Again, she's lost everything.

"_Your father ran… like a coward…"_

"_Wait for mommy to come back, Yocchan…"_

"_And you've never changed, Yotsuba. Still childish, immature… you don't know anything."_

Icy words pierced her ears. Yotsuba grabbed onto the edge of the table, feeling weak. Yotsuba wasn't sure if she was speaking or not. The buzzing in her ears pounded on her head so hard that she couldn't hear herself. Maybe if she bit her tongue, she wouldn't even feel it.

"_No one else here can put up with you!"_

"One day… you guys won't need me anymore, and I'll be-"

Yotsuba couldn't finish her sentence this time. Yamamoto had placed his hand on her head, and when Yotsuba's babbling came to an abrupt stop, he smiled widely at her and ruffled her hair. Yamamoto had large hands, and with years of baseball he has forgotten to control his strength, so it kind of hurt for Yotsuba as he ruffled her hair roughly.

"Yamamoto…" Yotsuba murmured.

"You're not alone," said Yamamoto. His youthful and sincere voice embraced her heart. It was one simple sentence, but it gave her something to hold on to.

"You know, I tried to commit suicide once," Yamamoto began to say, and smiled at the expected-shocked face from Yotsuba, and continued on. "I thought I was useless because I'd hurt my arm, something I must use for the only thing I'm good at. But Tsuna... that amazing guy... he saved me. At that time, I thought... 'Can you believe it? A guy like him whom everyone called useless saved my life!' And ever since then, Tsuna has always been a great friend, and he's been great to everyone. And I think he wouldn't just ignore you for no reason either!"

Yotsuba stared at Yamamoto quietly, and looked down at her folded hands. She smiled at her own doubts and pushed them out of her mind.

_Yes, I can't just doubt Tsuna so easily. It would be quite insulting, wouldn't it..._

Seeing that smile return to Yotsuba's face, Yamamoto was relieved. Without saying anymore, he straightened up and made his way toward the door. Before exiting, he looked back at Yotsuba, and indicated with a nod to follow him to his house for the sushi fest.

* * *

Yamamoto led the way to his house, followed by Yotsuba, Tsuna, and Gokudera, who was a bit unwilling. There they met up with Reborn, Bianchi, Kyoko, Haru, and the two kids. They ate delicious Otoro, and the usual chaos took place inside Yamamoto's house instead of Tsuna's tonight. Yamamoto was happy to see that Yotsuba had gone back to normal. She stuffed "special wasabi sushi" into Tsuna's plate sneakily and replaced Gokudera's plate with Bianchi's poison cooking.

Everything was well.

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay by yourself?" asked Yamamoto, standing in front of his father's sushi shop with Yotsuba. It was a cloudy night. The moon was barely visible, and it made the dark night darker than expected.

Yotsuba nodded. "Don't worry. If anything, Kabi will protect me!"

Yamamoto smiled. "Okay, then. Be careful on the way home!"

Then she departed. She was feeling quite good on the journey home. The chilly night wind caressed her skin and she took a deep breath. For the first time in countless nights, she might be able to sleep without worries. She was still scared that the voice will come into her dream again, but she won't hesitate anymore. Because her friends are truly there.

Yotsuba stopped in her tracks abruptly as a blue personage emerged from the corner of her eye. She felt a chill in her spine. That person, she would never forget such a person. The person that made her feel sick; the person that emitted such a strong murder intent. Without much thought, she began to follow him. She knew that it might be dangerous to do something like that, but something inside her told her that she'll find something very vital if she followed him. Rokudou Mukuro.

Yotsuba moved about in the dark streets like a cat. Her footsteps blended in with each of the blue-haired boy's. Her breathing was so light that it faded along with the chilly wind. Yotsuba made notes in her head of the places they've passed by. Several minutes ago, they've passed by the Namimori shopping area. Yotsuba looked around at her surroundings and came to a conclusion that they were not in Namimori anymore. Bad feelings overwhelmed her, but she kept going. Finally, the boy entered into an old building. It was very torn down and gave Yotsuba an insecure feeling. Kabi protested inside Yotsuba's bag, trying to persuade her to go back.

"Shh!" Yotsuba hissed. "I have to go, Kabi. I just have to."

Yotsuba entered the building without a second thought. She had lost sight of the boy. She studied the broken stairways in the building. _No, _she thought, _he must've gone upwards with something else. _Then she discovered an emergency ladder that led to another room on a higher floor. Yotsuba gulped as she started to climb the ladder.

_A theatre? _She thought as she set foot in the new room. She scanned the room and her gaze landed on the big couch in the back of the room, where the blue-haired boy sat. Yotsuba felt sweat run down her forehead.

"Rokudou Mukuro…"

Suddenly two more presence appeared in the room. Yotsuba quickly turned around to look at the new company. Two boys, one with a scar across his nose and one with glasses and a white beanie, blocked her only exit out of the room. Yotsuba cursed in her head.

"Kufufufu…"

Rokudou's sick laughter turned Yotsuba's attention back to him. He stood from the couch and came close to the shivering girl. His smile was sinister, and it was almost too familiar for Yotsuba.

"Hello there!" Rokudou greeted. His voice made Yotsuba ice up to the tip of her hair. "Welcome to my territory, my little clover!"

* * *

TBC.

A/N: Ahhhh~ did anyone guess that Mukuro was "the voice"? Sorry if this chapter seems rushed! Because I was really rushed! Today was the only day that I had time to write this, so I tried to do it as fast as I can! I'll barely have any time to work on this for the next couple of weeks because I have final exams coming up and a bunch of crazy projects. I'm so stressed out right now! I'll work on it whenever I have time, though!

Another thing! Some of you are probably confused with all the italic parts that go with what Yotsuba's thinking. They are segments of her childhood memories, and I'm pretty sure that most of Yotsuba's past will be revealed in the next chapter! Please continue to read my story & review!


	9. First Sign of Danger

**Color of Your Soul**

**Chapter 9: First Sign of Danger**

Nighttime in Kokuyou was a lot deadlier than that of Namimori. Kokuyou was such a run-down place that there were barely any street lights. The thick, black clouds in the sky seem to gather all above Kokuyou tonight. The night was so quiet that the only sounds were the ruffling of leaves and owls' hoots. But it wasn't so quiet for Yotsuba. Her heart's beating pounded in her head. Mukuro's sadistic smile made her feel numb; if he were to attack her right now, it would be an instant kill.

She tightened her fists in attempt to calm herself. _Think it out, Yotsuba! _She told herself, _think carefully! _With her utmost effort she lifted one of her fists and wiped her sweaty forehead with it. Questions whirled in her brain. Never in her life had she been discovered when she's spying, how did this guy find out? Who are those two in the back? His subordinates? What does he want?

She swallowed. "You're the one that's been in my head, aren't you?" That came out a lot calmer than she expected. It was a relief. But a new wave of anxiety washed over her as Mukuro stepped closer to her. Each of his steps was graceful and slow, taunting her nerves and laughing at her. He looked at her amusingly; the blood-red pupil of his right eye and the word that read "six" inscribed inside it shocked Yotsuba. She began to wonder if the boy was a human or not.

"Why so alarmed, little clover?" Mukuro sang. "We've spent countless of nights together, haven't we?"

Anger boiled inside Yotsuba's head from Mukuro's intimate statement. She didn't notice as the anger overcame her first fear. She gave up on the plan of "thinking it out" and lead Kabi out onto her shoulder from her bag, and threw the bag aside. After all, Yotsuba never liked to think too much. "You better watch what you say, barbarian. You're not too lucky to find a clover of my kind." She spat.

Mukuro laughed. The shrilly laughter gave Yotsuba a chill. "Aren't you smart with your tongue? But I kind of like it better when you were scared!"

Yotsuba's face went from white to red to green. What a disgusting man! "Pervert… My patience is very limited. Now, tell me how you found out about me… and why you've been invading my head!"

"Pervert?" gasped Mukuro sarcastically. "How hurtful! I think you already have an idea on how I can see inside you, don't you, my little clover?"

_It must be his eye, _thought Yotsuba. "I am not yours. Why are you targeting me? And do not back-question me this time."

Mukuro chuckled and stepped closer to Yotsuba, making her back away a little. She didn't want that eerie red-eye so close to her. It felt as if the eye was going to consume her, which was probably Mukuro's intention anyhow. The hair on Kabi's back stood and the little creature growled at the blue-haired boy. Mukuro raised an eyebrow at the sight of the animal.

"What an unattractive creature!" Mukuro exclaimed. "You really arouse my interest, little clover! At first I targeted you because you seemed like an easy bait to get to the Vongola. But after diving into your mind a couple of times, I realized that you and I are quite similar…"

Furious at Mukuro's words, Yotsuba shoved a piece of cracker into Kabi's mouth, transforming him into a ferocious yeti. In no way was she similar _something _like him! It enraged her even more when Mukuro put on a nonchalant expression as Kabi displayed his shark-like teeth with a roar. But to her miscalculation, the doggish boy behind her was quick to stand in between Kabi and Mukuro. She was astonished to see sharp fangs grow out inside the boy's mouth and the hair on his body became fur-like. A symbol of a lion imprinted on his cheek. Though Kabi was a lot bigger than the now-lion boy in size, the lion-boy was fast.

Seeing that her pet might need some assistance, Yotsuba rushed toward them. But before she could get close she was struck by something very rapidly on the shoulder, and she fell to the floor, losing her balance. Quickly checking the spot that was hit, she found her shirt wet with fresh blood. Yotsuba bit her bottom lip to distract the stinging pain from her shoulder, and looked to where the attack came from. An emotion-less face settled in front of her eyes; the pale-skinned boy looked back down at her. She noticed the pair of yo-yo in the boy's hands, one of which had blood stains on it. _I'm in a bad position, aren't I?_ thought Yotsuba.

"Never turn your back to an enemy!" Mukuro said, laughing a little, "Though it wouldn't have made a difference since Chikusa here is great for long-distance combat, and your Aikidou won't help you at all, will it?"

Yotsuba sent him her fiercest glower, but the cold sweat on her forehead kept falling uncontrollably. Mercilessly, the boy named Chikusa attacked again. This time Yotsuba kept an close eye on the two yo-yo, dodging them as they came at her. She could feel Mukuro's eyes on her as she moved about, which made her movements stiff. _This is getting nowhere! _she thought. With a determined look, Yotsuba started to sprint toward Chikusa. Chikusa released his yo-yo yet again, but this time Yotsuba grasped the string from the yo-yo and twirled it around her hand. A knife in her hand, she pulled Chikusa toward her, startling him briefly. But Chikusa reacted quickly; Yotsuba's knife only made a fine red line on his cheek.

Before Yotsuba could say the word "damn" in her head, she felt an immense pain to her side. She fell to the floor again and found about fifty needles stuck in her skin. Blood poured out from her side and her vision started to blur. She tried to stand up, but she was too dizzy to. The most she could do was prop herself up with her two shaking arms. She was feeling so tired, so tired, and her eyes drooped. The next thing she saw were Mukuro's shoes before her eyes. She looked up to see his malicious smile.

"You must not have many experiences in combat, little clover!" taunted Mukuro. "I must say that your fur ball there is stronger than I'd expected. But I guess it's lucky that Ken ate something weird this morning and isn't feeling too well, or your beloved pet would've probably died."

Yotsuba looked to where Kabi was a while ago. There were many wounds on the yeti with blood flowing out, and it was lying on the floor. Unconscious and suffering, it seemed. The other boy named Ken was back to his doggish look and was in the same state as Kabi.

"Kabi…" Yotsuba murmured. She wanted to reach for him, but her body was too heavy for her to drag, so she glared at Mukuro instead. Mukuro, on the other hand, smirked amusingly at the struggling girl. Slowly, he knelt down next to her and caressed her left cheek. Insanity burned in Yotsuba's eyes; she opened her mouth wide and bit his hand. Mukuro hissed and looked at her with disgust, trying to shake the animal-like girl off his hand. When she wouldn't let go, he kicked her until she yelped in pain, letting go of his hand while doing so.

"Aren't you a _princess_!" said Mukuro sarcastically. Darkness enveloped his eyes. "Face it. You're not match for me. I am, after all, a man who has experienced the six reincarnation cycle."

Yotsuba frowned. "What do you mean?"

Yotsuba felt a sick feeling as the number in Mukuro's eye shifted to "one". A field full of green clovers replaced the worn-out theater. Yotsuba blinked. Was she really bleeding _that _much that she's seeing things? She felt Mukuro's hand on her cheek again, but this time she had no strength to bite him.

"Do you like my present to you, my little clover?" Mukuro cooed at her. "You're really an interesting one. What do you say? Shall I get to know more about you?"

Yotsuba wanted to protest, but her vision faded before her eyes could close.

* * *

It was a western style house, dimly lit. Mukuro looked around, finding a newspaper in the Italian language. Then a series of sobbing came from the corner of the room. Mukuro turned toward the sound, and found a little girl no older than five years old curled up in the corner. Judging by the iron-black eyes of the girl, she must be the five-year-old Yotsuba. Mukuro was inside Yotsuba's memory.

"Where do you think you're going? You're just going to leave us?" a woman shrieked from another room, drawing Mukuro's head to the very direction. Mukuro advanced to the other room where the voice came from, and found a couple, probably Yotsuba's parents, arguing. The man seemed to be very nervous about something; his whole face was pale and beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. The woman seemed to have the same amount of anxiety.

"I _have_ to leave, Sayuri! Boss found out about me!" the man stuttered, trying to pull the woman away from the door. "He's going to _kill_ me!"

"And you're going to leave Yotsuba and I behind?" the woman named Sayuri went hysterical. "You selfish man! Is your life more important than your daughter's?"

"NO!" said the man exasperatedly. "Idiot! It's going to be more dangerous if you two are with me! Stay in this house! Change your names! And leave this place when the Estraneo's are not active!"

"What about the Vongola?" Mikami Sayuri exclaimed. "He's the one that hired you to spy in the Estraneo family! Shouldn't he be responsible for your safety?"

"The Estraneo doesn't know that I spied for Vongola," said the husband solemnly, "I can't disappoint the Vongola!"

"Is the mafia more important than your family?" Mikami Sayuri screamed.

The man lowered his head and remained silent. Mikami Sayuri looked at him desperately, but only to be pulled away from the door by her husband's strong hand. The man hurriedly put on his shoes and opened the wooden door.

"Mikami Kyusaku…" Mikami Sayuri whispered with a raspy voice. "If you step out of that door, Yotsuba is no longer your daughter!"

Mikami Kyusaku stopped in his track. He turned back to look at his wife with dark eyes. "If Yotsuba can live on safely, there will be nothing that I'll regret."

He left. Mikami Sayuri collapsed on the floor. Her hands covered her face, but no tears came out. She let out a shaky sigh and stood up, walking toward the living room where the young Yotsuba was. She found the little girl crying at the corner of the room and went over to embrace her.

"Don't cry, Yotsuba! Your daddy will come back soon! He's just out for work again!" the mother rubbed Yotsuba's back, trying to calm the sobbing from the girl.

Yotsuba cried silently.

_No, daddy is not coming back. They think I don't know anything. But I do. I know he's not coming back. I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. From now on, I am no longer a Mikami…_

Mukuro stared down at the young girl. It surprised him that she had such a grown mind at such a young age. He smiled maliciously.

_This is how the human world is, little clover_.

* * *

Mukuro walked through the window of the Mikami residence and landed on a grassy field. He looked around and found himself standing in the middle of a park. A woman was walking along the park, holding a little girl's hand. It was Yotsuba and her mother. Yotsuba had grown a bit taller, perhaps a year older, too. Mukuro bemusedly walked toward the pair.

Mikami Sayuri stopped walking as she came close to a long bench. Yotsuba raised her little head to look at her mother, curious at the sudden stop. Mikami Sayuri placed Yotsuba on the bench and held the little hands with hers.

"Yocchan," the mother started, "mommy has to go somewhere really quickly. Will you be a good girl and wait for mommy here?"

Something sparkled in Yotsuba's iron-black eyes. "Yotsuba is a good girl. Yotsuba will wait here for mommy and won't go anywhere!"

Tears started to fall out from the woman's eyes, then. Yotsuba frowned and reached out her hands to wipe her mother's tears. "Mommy? Don't cry, mommy! Yotsuba will be a good girl!"

"I know, I know…" Mikami Sayuri hugged Yotsuba, resting her head on the little's shoulder. "Yocchan has always been a good girl."

Yotsuba smiled. "Hurry back, mommy! Yotsuba will be waiting right here!"

Mikami Sayuri patted Yotsuba's head with a shaky hand and walked ahead.

"Wait for mommy to come back, Yocchan…"

Yotsuba stared at the back of her mother. She relaxed on the long bench; her two legs swinging just above the grass. Mukuro advanced toward her and sat next to the little girl on the bench. He studied the girl's face. Only six years old, and she has the expression of her teenage self. The girl blinked several long blinks and finally, giving in, fell asleep on the long bench. But only after twenty minutes, the sky turned gray and clouds gathered together. The light touch of raindrops woke the sleeping girl. Yotsuba looked around, but there was no sign of her mother.

She wasn't surprised. But she just sat there, and waited. Rain soaked the little girl's clothes, but she didn't seem to be cold at all. The rain fell harder and harder and pounded on her body mercilessly. Having no other choice, the girl ran toward the convenient store across the street to hide under the roof. Mukuro followed behind. She ran into a tall boy when she reached the convenient store and fell down. The boy didn't help her up. Yotsuba glared at the boy, in his teens, who had black hair just like hers and a pair of blood-red eyes.

"Hey!" Yotsuba grabbed onto the boy's sleeve when he ignored her. "How rude! You're supposed to help me up!"

The boy looked at her angrily and incredulously. "Let go of my sleeve, you filthy thing!"

Yotsuba pulled herself up on the boy's sleeve, but didn't let go. "Not until you say sorry!"

"Why should I say sorry to _you_?" the boy growled. "You're the one that ran into me!"

"…" Yotsuba stared at the angry boy. His red eyes were intimidating, but she wasn't afraid for some reason. "My name is Mi… Yotsuba! What's yours?"

"Ha?" the boy raised an eyebrow at her. Thinking that the girl was crazy, the boy turned to leave. But Yotsuba's grip was stronger than he thought. "Let. Go. Of. Me."

"You're not going to leave me, are you?" Yotsuba asked. Her big black eyes shot pleads at him. "I'm cold and wet!"

The boy looked her up and down coldly. "Go home."

"I can't!" Yotsuba whined. "I have to wait here for my mommy!"

Yotsuba grabbed the boy's hands with hers. The boy sent her murderous glares, but he didn't notice that his feet had stopped in their track. His red eyes stared into her deep, black ones. In them he found a wave of desire. For survival. For the truth. For love.

"Are you stupid? Your mother is not coming for you!"

"No! She's coming back for me!" Yotsuba said. Crystal-like tears rolled down her cheeks and joined with the rain water. "If I be a good girl, she'll come back for me! She said so! I have to wait here! I have to wait here!"

The boy watched her cry silently. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in the rain on a long bench next to the girl. He glanced at her; she had stopped crying. Then he glared at her, hard, again. Why was he acting so strange? He had wanted to punch the little girl, so why didn't he?

Meanwhile, Yotsuba stared into space. She remembered the previous day when her mother was crying in her room. It was after a strange phone call. Yotsuba had guessed that it was a phone call from the Estraneo family. Her mother had shouted into the phone, "Why? Why? Why?" Yotsuba had always believed that her mother was a tough woman; even tougher than her father. So who could be the person that made her mother cry like that?

A flash of orange light drew Yotsuba out of her trance. She looked ahead at the blinking marquee on top of a tall building. Being only six years old, Yotsuba only recognized a few words. But for some reason, Yotsuba sensed something bad. She tugged at the sleeve of the boy sitting next to her. The boy turned to her with irritation.

"What?"

"Can you read that for me?" Yotsuba pointed at the scrolling, orange words. Her eyes never left the marquee.

The boy raised an eyebrow at her and looked at the marquee. "Breaking news: a woman named Mikami Sayuri was found dead ten minutes ago in the research lab of San Carmillo Forlanini Hospital. The woman had injected an unknown chemical into herself. The police and scientists are still figuring out the components of the chemical that had caused this death…"

The boy's reading was cut off by Yotsuba. His red eyes widened slightly at the girl. She was laughing. Maybe she was crying too, but the raining was just too hard. Too hard.

"Stupid woman! That's what you get for leaving me! That's what you get!"

Those were the last words from Yotsuba before she passed out. The boy caught her frail body before she fell into the mud.

_Mommy, are you going to find daddy alone? Why didn't you take me? Why didn't you take me?_

Mukuro looked at the fainted for another couple of seconds, then stepped through the door of the convenient store.

* * *

As Mukuro stepped through the convenient store, he stepped into a large, clean room. There was a white bed to his left, and Yotsuba was sleeping on it. Judging by the clothes she was wearing, it must have been right after the day that he just came from. The door creaked open and woke her. A familiar and elderly man walked in and sat next to the bed. Yotsuba's sleepy eyes stared into the old man's warm ones.

"You're awake!" the old man said with a smile. It was such a gentle smile, Yotsuba thought. "How are you feeling?"

Yotsuba stayed silent. She felt like there was sand in her throat.

The old man held her hand lightly yet firmly. "I don't think that kid has ever done something like this before. What's your name?"

"Yotsuba…" she said. Tears fell from her iron eyes again. But this time her eyes were bright and shining. "Mikami Yotsuba. My name is Mikami Yotsuba."

The old man smiled. He helped her sit up on the bed so that his eyes could be leveled with hers. This girl was something else. Something else.

"My name… is Timoteo."

Suddenly everything in front of Mukuro started shaking. Images were falling apart and a white light blinded him. Mukuro felt that he was being pulled away.

"_Stop!" _Yotsuba's voice rang out in the nothingness. _"Stop looking at my memories! Get out right now!"_

* * *

Mukuro looked stunned as he was pulled out of Yotsuba's memory. The girl was out of his grasp, and she was panting hard and glowering at him. Neither of them was able to say a word. Looking into Mukuro's right eye again, Yotsuba stood up immediately. She stumbled away from him and ran away from Kokuyou as fast as she could after fetching Kabi.

Mukuro smiled and licked his bottom lips as Yotsuba disappeared from his sight.

"Kufufufu…"

_She broke away from my power. Interesting. I must've touched something forbidden…_

"She is something else."

* * *

TBC.

A/N: I hope that wasn't too confusing! Yotsuba's past will be further explained later on in the story. Everyone must know who Yotsuba's step father and Nii-chan is now, right? I really didn't want to reveal it until later, but I guess I had to. I hope everyone liked this chapter, and I hope I'll actually get some time to work on this for the next two weeks. Please review thx!


	10. Red Heart

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 10: Red Heart**

The sound of birds chirping signaled the beginning of a new day. The rays of the morning sun reflected on Yotsuba's sleeping face, stirring her from her sleep. Yotsuba blinked several times to let her eyes adjust to the brightness before she sat up in her bed. The clock read 9:46. She smiled at the clock despite the fact that she was late for school. It had been a while since she's had a good sleep. There was no more voice and no more nightmares. She wondered why Rokudou Mukuro had stopped haunting her, but at least she knows who the voice belongs to now. She was thoroughly angry, though, at the demonic boy, for peeking into her memories. However, this anger turns into fear quickly, as she remembered the boy's strong powers.

But there is definitely something else about that boy. It was not just malice that rested inside the boy's eyes. There was something else that made her feel sad, almost sorry, for him.

_No! _she thought. _Get a hold of yourself! That bastard invaded your privacy!_

Yotsuba looked sadly at a cushion on a desk, where a bandaged fur ball slept upon. Yotsuba went over to the desk and put down a small plate of grapes and blueberries. There it was, another reason she hated Rokudou Mukuro.

"I'm sorry, Kabi," Yotsuba whispered, "and thanks for always protecting me."

Yotsuba hobbled toward the door of her apartment and, after looking at Kabi for the last time, left for school. She passed by the peaceful Namimori shopping district. She felt sick when she passed by the fruit vendor and saw a mountain of pineapples on sale. She really needed something to distract her. And speaking of the devil, a splitting pain from Yotsuba's side certainly distracted her from the pineapples. She placed a hand to her side, feeling the messy bandage job she had done for herself.

"Blast it!" she muttered. "I guess I have to pay that perverted Shamal a visit."

----------

Tsuna stared at the empty seat next to him that belonged to Yotsuba. She hasn't been at school for a week. Although she was a very weird girl, it's only natural for a person like Tsuna to worry about her. To his surprise, Yamamoto and Gokudera seemed worried too, especially Yamamoto. The three boys had tried to visit her at her home everyday, but she refused to see them. It confused them, but at least she sounded fine behind the closed doors. Tsuna propped his head up with his right hand and stared out the window. There were just too many things on his mind lately. Not only the strange absence of Yotsuba, but also the appearance of the little boy named Fuuta.

They've made their encounter a few days ago at school when Tsuna was fetching a soccer ball. The sandy-haired little boy was very strange, just all everyone else around him. Reborn explained that Fuuta owned a very special ability to rank people in every aspect. In fact, the little boy was so skilled at ranking that many bad mafias had been after him. All in all, this Fuuta kid seemed like a sweet and innocent kid. But the problem was that the kid had decided to stay in Tsuna's house on his own and has followed him everywhere he went. The worst part was that Tsuna couldn't reject Fuuta, just like how Fuuta ranked.

"Sawada-kun!" the teacher bellowed. It made Tsuna jump in his chair and his knees hit the bottom surface of his desk. Wincing in pain, Tsuna thought, _crap! I'm in trouble!_

"It seems to me that you don't care enough for my lessons!" the teacher said. "If you're so good at this, why don't you solve this question on the board?"

"…………" Tsuna gaped at the question on the board. His mind had been somewhere else this whole time that he didn't know how to solve the question at all. Gokudera signaled "5" with his hand to Tsuna, but Tsuna was too nervous to notice. "I… I don't know…"

"I thought so!" said the teacher coldly. "Go stand in the hallway!"

Tsuna stood up from his chair at the all-too-familiar phrase. Tsuna dragged his feet toward the sliding door; he could feel his classmates laugh in their heads. But all he could think about was how embarrassing it must've been in front of Kyoko-chan. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he stepped into the hallway.

"Tsuna-nii!" a high-pitched, young, sweet voice called out Tsuna's name intimately. A small boy with sand-colored hair, who wore a long scarf and green coat, stood in front of Tsuna and waved. Tsuna stepped back in surprise.

"Fuuta!" Tsuna exclaimed softly. "What are you doing here?"

The young boy smiled brightly at the older boy. "I want to be always by Tsuna-nii's side!"

"You shouldn't follow me to school!" Tsuna scolded the young boy. He could not believe that Fuuta could be so persistent. Hasn't the kid learned a lesson last time from being chased by the mafia? Honestly, he does not want to have to be shot with a dying-will bullet again to save the kid.

"Why?" Fuuta pouted at Tsuna. His watery eyes attacked Tsuna's innocent heart.

"Because…" Tsuna frowned, "Because school is dangerous! The people are! You don't know what you're getting yourself into here!"

Tsuna got more and more emotional as he spoke. He didn't realize that he was speaking his own feelings instead of making excuses. Fuuta, being as young as he is, listened intently. Tsuna watched as fear started to show on Fuuta's little face and felt relieved. Maybe Fuuta will leave now.

"What's dangerous, Tsuna-kun? I'll protect you!"

Tsuna snapped his head toward the direction that the female voice came from. Yotsuba stood behind Tsuna a little slouched. _You're one of the dangerous things! _thought Tsuna, but he can't really say that. The girl really liked to make big entrances. Then he noticed the faint blue spots on Yotsuba's face. They were very faint but still recognizable as bruises.

"Yotsuba-chan!" exclaimed Tsuna. "What happened to you?"

"What?" asked Yotsuba. Tsuna gestured at the bruises on her face, and she understood. "Oh, these. Don't worry about them, they're just pimple bruises. I get crazy zits once in a while."

_That's obviously a lie!! _thought Tsuna. "Stop joking around, Yotsuba-chan! Why were you absent for the whole week?"

"Girls really do care about how they appear on the outside, you know?" Yotsuba said matter-of-factly. "Why else do you think Kyoko-chan only eats cakes once in a month?"

"Don't change the subject!" Tsuna shouted, although his face heated up from hearing Kyoko's name. Fuuta peeked out behind Tsuna. His face lit up upon seeing the black-haired girl.

"Yotsuba-nee!" Fuuta shouted happily, flinging his arms open and ran towards the older girl. Yotsuba looked surprised at first, but opened her arms for him.

"Fuuta!" said Yotsuba. "What are you going here? Don't you know how many people are after you?"

"Tsuna-nii will protect me!" Fuuta declared, not noticing Tsuna's protesting face on the side, and wrapped his arms around Yotsuba's waist. Yotsuba winced when one of Fuuta's arms made contact with the place that was wounded. Fuuta noticed the weird texture underneath the cloth of Yotsuba's uniform.

The young boy looked up at Yotsuba curiously. "Yotsuba-nee, what's under your---"

Yotsuba shoved a hand at Fuuta's mouth and silenced him. "I missed you too, Fuuta!"

Tsuna stared at the pair suspiciously, but decided against investigating further about Yotsuba's absence. The girl seemed normal enough. Well, normal as in her usual weirdness. "Yotsuba-chan, you know Fuuta?"

"Of course!" Yotsuba said with a yawn. "Fuuta is quite famous in the world of mafias."

"Is that right?" Tsuna said weakly. Why couldn't he just live like an ordinary student? "Well, why don't you go in to class? Yamamoto-kun and Gokudera-kun will be happy to see you."

"Hayato-kun? I guess he'll be happy that I didn't die by someone else's hands other than his," said Yotsuba. "I'll go in later. I need to go to the infirmary for a while. Maybe Shamal can fix these pimple marks on my face."

Tsuna felt weak. "If that's the case, will you take Fuuta along with you? I'll get in trouble if Fuuta keeps staying here…"

"Why can't you be responsible, Tsuna-kun?"

Tsuna wanted to cry. Yotsuba held back a laughter and walked along towards the infirmary, taking Fuuta's little hand in hers. Tsuna sighed in relief as both of them were out of sight. He turned back to where he was facing, only to find the teacher's face scrunched up together, looking very strained.

"Sawada-kun, stop making so much loud noises or I'll give you detention!"

----------

Yotsuba and Fuuta walked hand in hand toward the infirmary. Yotsuba continued to scold Fuuta for running around on his own on the way to the infirmary. Fuuta smiled at Yotsuba sheepishly and didn't retort. Although Yotsuba had only met Fuuta a few times before while still in Italy, they have become close really quickly. Yotsuba had always been softer toward kids, except for Reborn since he barely counts as a kid.

"Yotsuba-nee, what's under your shirt?" Fuuta asked his question earlier.

"It's nothing for you to worry about, Fuuta." Yotsuba smiled at him like an older sister.

Fuuta didn't push it any further. They arrived in front of the infirmary very soon, and Yotsuba pushed Fuuta to the side of the door.

"Stay there," warned Yotsuba, "it's a bit dangerous here."

Fuuta watched curiously as Yotsuba opened the door. A white personage jumped out from inside and knocked Yotsuba on the floor, yelling "I missed you!" Fuuta was horrified when he recognized the top-ranked most perverted doctor in all of the mafias, Dr. Shamal, was on top of Yotsuba. He hurried over to Yotsuba and tried to tow Shamal off her. Before he could pull Shamal off, though, Yotsuba had already lifted her hand and slapped Shamal across the face.

Shamal stumbled to the side. "Ow, Yocchan! That's not how you treat someone you haven't seen for a long time!"

"You're right. I should've kicked you instead." said Yotsuba, standing up and holding her side. "You useless doctor. You made me stretch my wound and now it's bleeding again…"

Shamal's eyes shifted toward Yotsuba's side, where blood slowly spread wider on her white uniform. Fuuta gasped at the sight in front of him. Yotsuba sent Fuuta a reassuring look, but Fuuta couldn't tear his eyes from the widening red spot on her shirt.

"How did you get that?" asked Shamal. His expression suddenly turned serious and he was searching into Yotsuba's eyes. Yotsuba looked away.

"It's a long story," said Yotsuba, "just hurry up and treat me already. Or I might just die from losing blood."

Shamal rolled his eyes. The girl needs to stop joking around, especially when her life is in danger! "Come on in."

Yotsuba followed behind Shamal into infirmary, and Fuuta entered soon after. Yotsuba sat on the white bed next to Shamal's desk, where Shamal was digging through the drawers for alcohols and bandages. Fuuta climbed onto the bed next to Yotsuba.

"Take off your shirt," Shamal said, pouring alcohol out on a clean cloth for cleaning her wounds.

"There's a kid here, Shamal."

"…………" Shamal narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you going to take this seriously or not?"

"I am. You're just _too_ serious. And you're not even the one that's hurt!" Yotsuba shrugged and started to take off her shirt. "I just want you to treat it because of the poor job I do at bandaging. This is really nothing."

_Like hell it's nothing, _thought Shamal, _how do you get little holes all on your side besides being attacked… cactus? And there's a wound on her shoulder, too! _Shamal sighed and cleaned Yotsuba's wounds. The alcohol stung and Yotsuba hissed whenever the cloth made contact with her skin. Shamal examined the holes closely and made sure that they weren't infected. Smoothly, he snapped open a pill capsule that contained his trident mosquitoes. The mosquito flew onto Yotsuba's arm and injected something into her.

"That should help the wounds heal faster. You're lucky that there wasn't any poison on this weapon," said Shamal, starting to bandage her side. "I think it's about time you tell me what happened."

Yotsuba yawned. "I really can't, Shamal, we've got an important test today!"

"Since when did you care about those tests?"

"Since I started to get double-digits on them," said Yotsuba as she hopped off the bed after Shamal had finished bandaging. "Never thought I had it in me, did ya?"

Yotsuba grabbed Fuuta's hand and led him out of the infirmary. Shamal sighed again at the retrieving back of the careless girl. Looks like the girl is involved in something big. And bad. Maybe he should tell the Ninth about it. Then again, he might be killed before the Ninth's plane even arrives. Maybe he'll tell Dino. Although Dino is quite useless when it comes to talking to Yotsuba, but at least Dino can get _something_ out of her, hopefully.

Shamal flipped open his cell phone and dialed.

----------

It was lunch time and, to Tsuna's disappointment, Yotsuba had taken Fuuta along to the rooftop to join them for lunch. Gokudera and Yamamoto were both surprised to see Yotsuba come to school. Yamamoto was, of course, the happiest one there to see Yotsuba. Gokudera might've been happy, too, but he always overreacts so no one can understand him.

"Stupid woman! What have you been doing for the whole week?!" snapped Gokudera, instead of peacefully greeting her like Yamamoto.

"I was busy trying not to be busy," Yotsuba yawned. "in fact, I was so busy that I couldn't have a good meal throughout the whole week!"

"……………" Gokudera wanted to say something, but he seemed to be at a loss of words. Yamamoto, on the other hand, was overjoyed by the fact that Yotsuba was healthy and in a good mood. He could always tell when Yotsuba was in a good mood or not.

"Yotsuba-chan," Yamamoto scooted towards Yotsuba with his lunchbox in hand, "If you'd like, you can have some of my lunch!"

"Takeshi-kun! You are a gentleman!" exclaimed Yotsuba while grabbing a sushi from the box. Yamamoto smiled at the girl chomping the sushi away. He had been worried about her for the whole week. He had been feeling guilty throughout the time of her absence, since he didn't walk her home that night. He probably wouldn't forgive himself if she wasn't here, lively and healthy, right now.

Well, as lively as Yotsuba can get. After devouring Yamamoto's lunchbox, Yotsuba yawned and lied down on the floor with her arms and legs stretched out.

"Oi!" Gokudera grunted, "don't just eat up someone else lunch and start sleeping!"

Yamamoto laughed and patted Gokudera on the back, saying that it's no big deal. Gokudera swapped Yamamoto's hand away and continued to scold the resting girl. Gokudera got angrier and angrier as Yotsuba ignored all that he's saying and just stared at the sky. Tsuna had to hold back Gokudera from lighting his bombs.

"Shh! Be quiet, you guys!" Yotsuba said suddenly, and all the attention was on her. "Look at the clouds…"

All of them looked up into the sky. White, fluffy clouds floated by with the soft wind slowly. The boys shifted their gaze toward the girl again. The expression on her face made her seem like she is concentrating hard on studying the clouds. As Tsuna stared at her, he took notice of the bruises on her face once again. Something felt terribly wrong.

"If you lie down like this… and imagine that you're the one moving instead of the clouds…" Yotsuba said as slowly as the clouds' pace, "doesn't it feel like… you're on a floating castle?"

_I wonder… how much longer will I be able to see a peaceful sky like this…?_

"So peaceful… so peacefu—AHHHHHH!!!!" Yotsuba shrieked as an oversized pineapple appeared in front of her eyes. She jumped from her sleeping position and braced herself. _It's so big! Why is it so big?!_

"Ciaossu!" Reborn's squeaky voice sounded from the pineapple. The pineapple turned around and Reborn's face was showing through an opening in the pineapple costume. All of them on the rooftop, except Yamamoto, toppled over upon seeing this.

"Reborn!!" Tsuna shouted exasperatedly. "What are you doing here?!"

"Why are you in a pineapple suit?!" Yotsuba shouted along with Tsuna. Yamamoto and Gokudera were surprised; it's the first time that they've seen her lose her cool.

"None of that is important!" Reborn said. His black-bean eyes flickered with light. "What's important is why are you wearing your sweater vest, Yotsuba?"

"Huh?" All the boys turned their heads toward Yotsuba. Despite the warm weather, she was wearing the sweater vest that came with the winter uniform.

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. "Why not? Maybe I'm cold!"

"Is that so?" said Reborn. "Then why does Fuuta look so uneasy?"

Everyone turned toward Fuuta and noticed that the boy hadn't spoken a word since he was brought up to the rooftop. Fuuta stared at his feet and his brows furrowed together. He looked as if he was having a stomach ache. Tsuna looked back at Yotsuba, whose face was gaining a bit of red. Something was not right.

"Fuuta… Yotsuba… what's going on?" asked Tsuna seriously.

Yotsuba remained silent, but Fuuta couldn't hold it in anymore. "SOMEONE IS TRYING TO KILL YOTSUBA-NEE!"

"WHAT?!" the boys exclaimed. They looked at Yotsuba as if she was dying on a hospital bed. Yotsuba sighed; Fuuta was still too young to keep something like that a secret.

Finding no other excuses, Yotsuba lifted the sweater vest. The deep red of the bloodstain made a big contrast against the white uniform. The color shook the minds of the boys. Something _did _happen during that week. Yamamoto took on a stern expression. He couldn't take his eyes off the red spot on Yotsuba's uniform. It hurt him. With a reason that he could not figure out.

Yotsuba laughed. "Why are you guys looking at me like I'm about to die? For your information, no one tried to _kill_ me! Shamal even said there's no poison in the weapon!"

"That's not the point!" Tsuna said, "The point is that you were being targeted! Why didn't you say anything, Yotsuba-chan? Why didn't you tell us that you were being targeted?"

"It's not serious!" said Yotsuba after a pause. "It's natural that things like this will happen since we're involved with the mafia!"

"Just because it's mafia," Tsuna said, "doesn't mean that we can ignore that wound! Yotsuba-chan, we see you as a friend. As a friend, will you just tell us what happened?"

Silence. Yotsuba stared into the eyes of the future Vongola Decimo.

_Ma… it seems like Vongola saved me again…_

The end-of-lunch school bell broke the silence among the teenagers. None of them made a move for a while, until Yotsuba turned her heels and walked towards the door. "Don't worry about it, Tsuna-kun…" said Yotsuba as she stepped through the door and advanced down the stairs. The boys watched her go in silence.

"Yotsuba-chan…" Tsuna murmured. "She left without explaining anything…"

"Well, she's still as stubborn as a little child," Reborn said.

"That can't be helped," said Fuuta, flipping out his ranking book. "Yotsuba-nee is ranked number one among all of the mafias in the area of 'running away'!"

_WHAT AN EMBARASSING KIND OF TALENT!! _Tsuna exclaimed in his head.

Gokudera kept his gaze at the door in which Yotsuba disappeared into. _And perhaps the number one stubborn, too, _he thought.

----------

Everything was a serene blend of orange and red in front of Yotsuba's eyes when she opened them. As usual, she had fallen asleep in class and school has ended. No was no one in the classroom. She lifted her heavy head and stared at the clock. 4:30. Oh, how nice of her classmates to not wake her up! She grabbed her things and started out towards the hallway. When she reached the stairs she heard something. Something melodic. Unconsciously, she approached the tune and made out that it was a piano.

Yotsuba stopped in front of the music room and listened to the piece quietly. It was a sweet and soothing melody. Suddenly the piano music stopped; Yotsuba snapped out of her trance. It made her jump when the door to the music room slid open quickly, and Gokudera stood in front of her. Yotsuba's mouth was slightly open, while Gokudera stared down into her eyes.

They stayed that way for a while; neither of them said a word.

"How did you know I was standing here?" asked Yotsuba. Her voice sounded louder than usual due to the previous silence, which made her feel a bit awkward.

"You breathe too loudly," Gokudera said, turning back into the music room.

Yotsuba stared at Gokudera's back in astonishment. For the first time, she couldn't think of a rebuttal against him. Seeing that he left the door open for her, she walked into the music room and closed the door slowly. As soon as the door clicked closed, Gokudera's music started, again, behind her. Yotsuba turned around to look at Gokudera play. The calmness in him made her think that he wasn't Gokudera at all.

Although knowing that talking when someone's playing the piano is rude, Yotsuba couldn't help herself. "I didn't know that you played the piano…"

"Ever since I was little," Gokudera replied, his fingers never stopped moving.

"Too bad it'd sound better if the pianist wasn't so ferocious-looking."

Gokudera smirked. "You should learn to be more honest."

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"If you're happy, you should show it," Gokudera said as he stopped playing. "You were happy about what Juudaime said during lunch today, weren't you?"

Yotsuba didn't say a thing. She sat down next to Gokudera as he made space on the piano bench.

"I can really care less about you," said Gokudera, looking up at the ceiling. "but if Juudaime is being so good to you, you should be good back. I'll kill you if you make Juudaime worry."

Yotsuba stared at him. Gradually, the corners of her lips curled upwards. "Hayato-kun… if you care about me, you can just say so!"

Gokudera's head snapped toward Yotsuba at light-speed. "What are you talking about, stupid woman?! I care about Juudaime, not you!"

Yotsuba watched a color of roses appear on Gokudera's cheeks. How un-cool was that? The most dishonest person just scolded her as being dishonest. She shrugged.

It almost made Gokudera jump out of his seat when Yotsuba held his hands with hers. Her cold hands sent electricity up to the tip of his hair, and he was about to yell at her when she softy moved his hands onto the piano again. _I'm not blushing! I'm not blushing! _Gokudera told himself. Although he did feel a bit discontent when Yotsuba's hands were removed.

"Play again, will you?"

Yotsuba's voice never sounded so sweet in his ears. She looked at him expectantly, and he realized that he can't tear his eyes away from her. His mind told his hands to start playing the piano, but his body seemed to have a mind of its own. Without thinking, he inched toward her. Yotsuba seemed to notice Gokudera's strange behavior, and she felt her face growing warm. It became hard to breathe in the room.

"Gokudera-kun……" Yotsuba murmured as she leaned back a little.

"YOTSUBA-CHAN!"

The two teens shot apart at the energetic voice. Yamamoto stood at the entrance, with his baseball equipments in hand and his big bright smile on. There was no baseball practice today, but he still went to the fields to hit some balls. He had to release something from his mind. He couldn't stop feeling guilty about Yotsuba for the whole day, and he didn't enjoy having that feeling. He pondered about it while he played baseball. He came to the conclusion that he might have forgotten how weak and fragile girls are, especially Yotsuba, and just let her walk home alone that night. How careless of him!

Yamamoto felt a lot more relieved after hitting all that baseball and thinking. After all, Yamamoto was taught to learn from mistakes.

"Let's go home together, Yotsuba-chan!" Yamamoto said happily. "In fact, let's go home together everyday from now on!"

Yotsuba stared at Yamamoto with wide eyes incredulously. But she smiled, nonetheless.

"Yeah, let's go together!"

"Oi, baseball idiot! Don't treat me like I'm invisible!"

"Ah! Gokudera, you're here too?"

"You----!!"

The three of them walked side by side under the red sky. As peacefully as they can get.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Woot! An update! Well, I've got some things to discuss here!

First, I've just counted the number of chapters to go before the battle with Kokuyou begins, and the result is that… there is just too much! I think everyone will get bored if I really wrote around ten chapters of "no-tension" chapters until Mukuro comes out again. So I've decided that I'm going to move some of the events in the manga that's BEFORE the Kokuyou battle to AFTER it. Which I think it's better since there aren't many things in between the Kokuyou battle and the Ring battles, anyway.

Second, I'm still deciding whether or not I should write about Naito Longchamp. I mean, does anyone even want him to be included? If no one really cares about him, then I can just skip those couple of chapters and get to the dramatic parts faster.

Third, I uploaded a sketch of Yotsuba that I've done. If anyone's interested, you can find it on my profile. She looks kind of mad, but what I was trying to do was to make her look sleepy, which I failed.

ANYPOO! That was a long A/N. Lastly, PLEASE REVIEW!!


	11. Mission

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 11: Mission**

_Ah, thinking it won't disappear,_

_Not just this, the feeling of sadness won't fade._

_Within the eyes that endured tears, the light that is prettier than all else is collected._

_Let's walk on the other side of the clouds._

_After the rain, a rainbow will appear._

___"Over The Rain" by flumpool_

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The streets of Namimori were empty although it was a clear day. The weather wasn't too hot or too cold. It was the perfect day for sakura viewing. Instead of running to find a good spot to view sakura, Yotsuba stood in front of the most expensive café in Namimori, Bliss Café. Yotsuba was reluctant to come to the café; Dino had called her out, and by the tone of his voice it didn't sound like anything pleasant.

After letting out a big breath, Yotsuba pulled the door open. The bells attached to the door jingled, bringing Dino's head up to meet Yotsuba's eyes. There were not many people in the café. Dino smiled and waved for Yotsuba to come over. She hobbled over to the seat in front of Dino and sat into it. Dino pushed a steaming cup in front of her.

"I had them put in extra sugar," said Dino, "Drink some. It's my treat."

Yotsuba murmured a "thank you" and put the cup to her lips. She stole a glance at Dino through the white steam traveling upwards in the air. He didn't seem to be mad or anything. She drank the coffee with relief, but didn't realize that she looked exactly like a kid caught being naughty in Dino's eyes. Dino chuckled to himself. _I got you this time, Yocchan!_

"Saa," Dino said, "Why don't you spit everything?"

"…………" Yotsuba stared at Dino. Holding the cup close to her mouth, she spat a mouthful of coffee back into the cup.

"NOT LITERALLY!!" Dino cried. "I meant your wound! How did you get it and why?!"

_Damn that Shamal…_ thought Yotsuba. "It's nothing. Someone didn't like my attitude and beat me up."

Dino frowned at her; Yotsuba stared into the cup of coffee. Of course he didn't believe her. If it really was someone who randomly wanted to beat her up, Kabi would've taken care of him. The girl was really hard-headed.

"Yocchan," Dino started, looking at her sternly, "Stop being stubborn. I don't know what you're afraid of, but everyone's worried about you! I mean, to the point that Shamal had to call me… it must be something serious!"

Yotsuba opened her mouth to make another excuse, but she closed it as soon as Dino sent her another reprimanding look. Yotsuba sighed; maybe she should just tell him about Rokudou Mukuro. But when she thought about the horrid name, she cowered again. She shivered when she remembered the red eye and his eerie laughter. Dino stared at Yotsuba face, getting more and more worried as her face turned blue.

She shook her head. Quickly grabbing the cup containing black coffee in front of Dino, Yotsuba gulped it all down. It was bitter and it stung a little.

"Dino…" Yotsuba said, "Do you know about… a person named… Rokudou Mukuro?"

As soon as she finished her sentence, she covered her nose and mouth with her hands. Dino was horrified to see blood stream down the gaps in between her fingers. He reached over to support her shoulder when she almost fell over in her chair.

"Yocchan! Are you okay?" Dino asked nervously. "Hang on, let me call Shamal! Ah! I'll call Reborn and Tsuna, too!"

Yotsuba grabbed Dino's hand that was reaching for his cell phone. "No! Don't call Tsuna or Reborn! I'm fine! I actually feel better right now!"

Dino stared at Yotsuba questioningly; her face does seem to gain a bit more color. "All right. But I'm going to call Shamal… you can't expect me to just ignore that!"

Yotsuba nodded, grabbing a napkin to clean her face. She listened closely as Dino made his phone call. Shamal didn't pick up his phone for a long time, and when he did, he sounded drunk. Yotsuba couldn't help but sweat-drop at this.

"Shamal?" Dino called. "Are you drunk? We need you right now!"

"What? What? I'm totally sober! The sakura blossoms are so pretty today! Hello? Are you there, Dino? Aloha! Bonjour! Ni Hao! Hola!"

"Shamal! Shamal!" Dino shouted into the phone. "Come over to Bliss Café right now! It's about Yocchan!"

Yotsuba couldn't hear anymore sound from the other side of the phone. Then Dino clicked his phone shut, saying that Shamal will be here soon. Surprisingly, Shamal arrived in a few minutes, looking serious and sober. He marched toward the two and began examining Yotsuba as soon as he stopped in front of her.

"Just as I thought…" Shamal muttered, "this Rokudou Mukuro person must've done something to her that restricted her from telling anyone anything about him. Yocchan probably strained herself very hard just to get his name out, which is why her nose started bleeding. But it seems like that _something_ has been broken by Yocchan, so she should be fine now."

Dino looked at Yotsuba worriedly. "Rokudou Mukuro… was he the person that attacked you?"

Yotsuba nodded warily. "Please don't tell Tsuna or Reborn or anyone… I don't want to worry them…"

"What are you saying, Yocchan?" Dino grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "They are all worried _already_! Please tell me everything you know about this person, and we can figure out a way to help you!"

"Dino, if you shake me again I'm going to spew blood on you." Yotsuba said, making Dino stop the shaking action. "Now, honestly, I don't even know anything about that person… or thing…"

"What?"

"He's not human, Dino…" Yotsuba muttered, tightening her grip. "He's dangerous… I don't want Tsuna to get hurt. I don't want Tsuna to even _know _about him…"

"This Rokudou Mukuro… he's after Sawada Tsunayoshi?" asked Shamal.

Yotsuba nodded again.

"Then you should know that they will have to confront each other sooner or later, right?"

"No!" Yotsuba snapped. "He… he'll get killed! Rokudou Mukuro is not someone Tsuna can handle! I'm… I'm going to call The Ninth… and ask for professional hit men to take care of this!"

Dino reached over to take hold of her shoulders. "Yocchan, calm down!"

Yotsuba raised her head to look at Dino, only to find the older man smiling gently at her. Yotsuba's breathing slowed and she regained her composure after a while. She stared at Dino's smiling face, more confused than ever. Dino held her hands softly.

"You've changed, Yocchan," Dino said soothingly, "if it was a year ago, Yocchan wouldn't even care what happens to Tsuna. I'm so impressed! I can understand why you don't want the direct confrontation between Tsuna and that Rokudou Mukuro… but it's really inevitable. But it will be a good way for Tsuna to grow…"

"But…"

"You trust Tsuna, don't you?" said Dino. "I think you do… just like how you trust The Ninth!"

Yotsuba lowered her head. Tsuna… the almost-useless boy who had saved her so many times. He really could make things better, couldn't he? But what if things turn out unexpectedly? What would Rokudou Mukuro do to him? Would his eyes be filled with fear like hers? She didn't want to see it. She didn't want to see the day that innocence leaves his eyes, or Yamamoto's or Gokudera's or anyone else's.

"Yocchan…" Dino's voice brought her back to reality. "You want to protect them, right? To protect someone, you can't just pull them back. You have to stand with them, side by side, and fight."

_Stand side by side with them? I can't… I'm not strong enough… I'll just run away in the end, like I always did… _

"Yocchan… everyone is born into the world with a mission…"

Dino's hands felt so warm.

"…What is yours?"

----------

The cherry blossoms this year were exceptionally beautiful. They were blooming so proudly all over Namimori, petals filled even the usual busy streets. It was also the year that Hibari Kyouya started to detest cherry blossoms. During the fight with Shamal earlier, Hibari was diseased with the Sakura-kura Disease. Hibari wasn't used to feeling weak, or not being able to walk straight. He hobbled, like a certain sleepy-eyed girl he knew, down the streets of Namimori.

"Kyouya?" a familiar voice reached to Hibari's ears.

He looked up to see the said sleepy-eyed girl walking up to him. He hadn't been paying attention to the road, which was very unlike him to do so. Hibari cursed at the sakura petals dancing in the air, and tried to give the clueless girl the fiercest glare he could make. Yotsuba, in turn, frowned at the skylark's hostility.

"Are you okay, Kyouya?" Yotsuba asked carefully. "You don't look too good."

Hibari kept quiet. Did he really look that ill that Yotsuba, who was always scared of him, is actually talking to him straight in the face? It's all the sakura's fault. Not having enough energy to take out his tonfa, Hibari walked passed Yotsuba and just kept walking.

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. "Kyouya? Where are you going?"

"Your herbivore friends are viewing sakura at the park." said Hibari monotonously.

"Eh?"

Yotsuba, a little taken back, stared at Hibari's retrieving back. She had forgotten that Tsuna and the others invited her to view sakura with them in the morning. Although she had just finished talking with Dino, but she suddenly didn't want to go to the park. Maybe she didn't know how to face them. Why? She didn't even know herself. She took a step and, having no reason, followed behind Hibari.

She was somewhat nervous while walking behind the skylark. He didn't look to be in a good mood; she kept a five-feet distance in between him and her. After ten minutes, she realized that they were in front of Namimori Junior High. Yotsuba was at awe again for Hibari's deep affection toward the school; he even comes to the school when there is no class! Nonetheless, she kept on following him.

Yotsuba wasn't so surprised when they arrived at the Reception Room. She was surprised, however, at the immediate recovery of Hibari as he entered the room. His footsteps were firm and his eyes regained their usual vicious glint. He advanced toward the couch and plopped down on it, sending Yotsuba a death glare all the while. Yotsuba was considering running for it while she can.

"I'm in a very bad mood," said Hibari in a warning tone. "So if you disturb me while I sleep, I'll release all my anger on that Sakura-kura Disease on you."

Hibari lied down on the couch and fell asleep quickly after the warning. Yotsuba gaped at the sleeping boy's unreasonable warning, but didn't make a single protest. _How did he get diseased with that rare disease? _Yotsuba wondered.

Yotsuba tiptoed over to the couch where Hibari slept on and knelt down in front of it. Even with closed eyes, he still made her nervous. Soundlessly, she watched Hibari fall into a deep slumber.

_Kyouya… is such a blithe person,_ Yotsuba couldn't help but think while she stared at Hibari's sleeping face.

Always doing things according to his own will; no one could restrict him, no one could control him. Like the clouds floating freely in the enormous sky. Like the colossal castle that she'd always fantasized about. If she followed him, will she be able to become strong like him? Will she be able to do what she wants? Say what she wants to say?

She remembered the conversation with Tsuna and the others on the rooftop a few days ago. Even though knowing how much Tsuna worried about her, she couldn't tell him anything. Shamal had said that part of it was Rokudou Mukuro's doing, but deep down inside, Yotsuba knew, clearly, why she couldn't say anything at that moment. She knew it better than anyone. She was scared. She was scared of so many things that she even felt sorry for herself. She was scared of Rokudou Mukuro, of getting hurt, of her own world. Through Mukuro, she remembered when the world of mafia took everything away from her, gave her all the happiness she wanted, and took everything away again. Sooner or later, Tsuna will be an important part of this cruel world. She didn't want to see the true, honest, innocent smile of Tsuna, which had always pulled her from her fall, to disappear forever in the mafia world.

_If I could become like Kyouya… not dwelling on these fears, will I be able to return those honest feelings to them? _

Yotsuba's eyes drooped as she thought. A short moment passed before Yotsuba fell asleep, on her arms, by the couch.

----------

"Oi." A clear and deep voice traveled to Yotsuba's ears.

_Hmm?_

"Oi." The owner of the voice, receiving no reply from Yotsuba, called again.

_Let me sleep longer…_

Yotsuba's eyes fluttered open unwillingly. But in the next second, Yotsuba jumped up like a bee had stung her, and she was wild awake. Hibari, with a very ticked-off expression, was standing above her with his tonfa in hands.

"I'm, I'm sorry!" Yotsuba stuttered.

Surprisingly, Hibari didn't send Yotsuba flying across the room. He merely scanned his eyes over Yotsuba's face briefly, put his tonfa away, and made for the door.

"Let's go."

"Eh?"

Hibari glowered at Yotsuba and cut off everything she was going to say afterwards. She knew that if she said another word, Hibari would swing his tonfa at her instantly. Having no other choice, she started to follow him again. It was not until they left the school building did Yotsuba realize that the day was almost over. The sky made a mixture of orange and blue. It added to the awkwardness Yotsuba was feeling during this silent walk with Hibari. Hibari was really someone that Yotsuba couldn't read. In fact, no one can really read him.

The wind has calmed and the sakura petals weren't filled in the sky anymore. Hibari made quick strides in front of Yotsuba, while she quickened her pace as she was afraid to protest. In only a couple of minutes, they passed the residence area and entered the shopping district.

"Ano… Kyouya, what exactly are we doing?" Yotsuba asked, unable to hold it in anymore.

"Patrolling," answered Hibari.

Hibari's one-word answer made Yotsuba even more confused. As Yotsuba tried to catch up with Hibari, she bumped into his back as he suddenly made a stop.

"Hibari-san?!" a panicking voice drew Yotsuba's attention as she rubbed her pained nose.

Yotsuba peeked from behind Hibari. "Tsuna-kun?"

"Yotsuba-chan?" Yamamoto, who was closest to her, noticed Yotsuba first.

"Stupid woman! Where were you all this time?!" Gokudera snapped in his usual rude tone. "How dare you make Juudaime wait for you?!"

"Wait for me?" Yotsuba repeated uncertainly.

Tsuna scratched the back of his head. "Yotsuba-chan, the truth is that… we noticed that you've been really tense for the past couple of days, so we wanted to ease up the atmosphere during the sakura viewing. Although you said that you had priorities with Dino this morning, but I still wanted to wait, in case you had time to come."

Yotsuba felt a gush of warmth overflow throughout her body. Her face flustered at the sight of everyone's smiles. She was ashamed for not telling them the truth.

"Let's go." Hibari said coldly as he moved on ahead. Tsuna and the others watched Hibari leave, puzzled by why Hibari didn't attempt to bite them to death. Yotsuba smiled and followed behind Hibari. She turned back to look at the puzzled boys before going far.

"Tsuna-kun," she said cheerfully, "Sorry for my absence today! Let's eat lunch together on the rooftop tomorrow, okay?"

It only took Tsuna a couple of seconds to react. "Okay!"

----------

The sun was soon settled under the horizon after Hibari and Yotsuba's departure from Tsuna. The patrolling couple was walking along the sidewalk of the shopping district. There was no one out, for the clouds tonight were thick and it hid the moon's light from the streets. Yotsuba walked faster as the night got eerie, but still trailing behind Hibari's flowing school jacket.

"Kyouya…" said Yotsuba tiredly, "just how long do you patrol everyday?"

Hibari didn't answer. Hibari was really a quiet person, Yotsuba thought. But if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be fearlessly walking on the streets at night. She thought about the encounter with Tsuna earlier in the day. Did Hibari purposefully take her to see them? That was the least possible thing, but Yotsuba wanted to believe that.

"Kyouya, thanks for taking me to see Tsuna today." Yotsuba said.

Hibari stopped in his track. He turned around to look at her coldly, as if telling her that she was out of her mind. Nonetheless, Yotsuba smiled. Hibari only glared at her before starting to walk ahead again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that her smile was small and sweet. Unconsciously, he slowed his footsteps subtly. Yotsuba didn't even realize as she had caught up with the skylark and was walking with him, side by side.

"Herbivores are supposed to act like herbivores." Hibari said coldly.

"Eh?"

Before Yotsuba could react to what Hibari had just said, an ear-ripping shriek captivated their attentions. Both of their heads shot toward the origin of the sound, which came from behind an alley close by. Without thinking, both of them darted toward the same direction. As they turned the corner, they were shocked to see a tall, muscular teen passed out on the ground. The boy was beaten up mercilessly, and blood almost made his face unrecognizable.

With one look at the injured boy's clothing and hairstyle, Yotsuba and Hibari knew that the boy was from Namimori Junior High. The old school uniform and the pompadour hairdo indicated that the boy was a part of the Disciplinary Committee. Hibari stood in his place as Yotsuba rushed over to the injured boy. She turned the boy over so that his head rested on her thighs, and she inspected the boy's wounds.

She was horrified when she inspected the boy's face.

"Kyouya…" she said with a shaken voice as she looked back at the chairman.

"His teeth… they're all gone!"

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Hey readers! I have just finished with final exams and I hope I will have a lot more time to write! Some of you probably noticed that I skipped Longchamp. I thought he was not very relevant to the plot and I want to get on with the Kokuyou battle. I'll give you all a warning that… I'm going to be making up a past for Mukuro a couple of chapters later! So if I totally ruin your image of Mukuro's childhood… I'm sorry!

Please review! Some of your feedbacks really give me great ideas, even if you don't realize it! THANK YOU!


	12. Carnivore and Herbivores

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 12: Carnivore and Herbivores**

The assault on one of the members of the Disciplinary Committee on the sakura-viewing day was like a spark that started the fire. Everyday after that incident, there have been many Namimori Junior High students who were assaulted. All of them had their teeth extracted. This kind of brutal assault has wrecked the peaceful atmosphere in Namimori, especially for the Namimori students. Even Sawada Nana, the optimistic and hard-working mother of Tsuna, was starting to get nervous. This morning she suggested Tsuna to take self-defense lessons in case something bad happens to him. Of course, Tsuna reacted hysterically, thinking that the assaults have nothing to do with him. Little did he know, he was the exact reason for the assaults.

Tsuna groaned loudly as he walked toward Namimori Junior High. In his hands were dozens of flyers for various fighting clubs and classes. Tsuna nagged about his mother while Reborn, walking on the walls by the sidewalk, suggested that Fuuta could make a ranking of which style of fighting most suited Tsuna. Neither of them realized that Fuuta was, strangely, not around.

"Maybe it's a good idea to join Ryohei's boxing club!" Reborn said, wearing a smile on his face despite the rising tension in Namimori.

"Don't joke around!" Tsuna exclaimed, "I'll get killed before I can defend myself!"

"You're right; you're too weak, anyway!" Reborn chirped, not realizing how hurtful that was for Tsuna. "Maybe you should go learn Aikidou from Yotsuba!"

"Eh?" Tsuna frowned. "But… Yotsuba-chan is too……"

"I'm too what?" Yotsuba popped up behind Tsuna, making him jump about five feet high. He was even more frightened when he saw the fatigued face of Yotsuba. The last time that he saw such a face from her was the day that her sleep got interrupted by Ryohei.

"Yotsuba-chan," said Tsuna nervously, "are you all right?"

"I'll manage," Yotsuba sighed. "All of these assaults happening lately is wearing me out!"

_Since when did you care about these kinds of things? _Tsuna wanted to ask, but decided against it. What Tsuna doesn't know is that Yotsuba hadn't been sleeping as much as she should ever since the night that she found the first victim of the assaults with Hibari. Everyday she runs around Namimori to investigate on all the cases secretly. It had been worrying her; she had a pretty good idea about who was behind all the cases. Although it would make her feel a lot better if someone told her that she was wrong, that the guilty one was not Rokudou Mukuro.

Just as Tsuna opened his mouth to say something, he stopped himself, again, by the sight of groups of prefects around the main streets of Namimori. All of them were tense and ready to beat up anyone suspicious.

"There are so many prefects!" Tsuna remarked.

"Because there have been many cases," Reborn stated, "The prefects are getting jittery, too!"

Yotsuba nodded at Reborn's statement. "The first victim had been a prefect, after all."

"This gang fight is getting a bit too serious!" Tsuna exclaimed.

"Wrong." Hibari's voice startled Tsuna and, once again, made Tsuna jump. Tsuna panicked immediately and started apologizing for no reason. Yotsuba noticed the distorted expression on Hibari's face. At the night that they discovered the first victim, Hibari didn't care at all for his own subordinate. But as more and more students from Namimori were targeted, it seems like even Hibari has become agitated.

"All of these attacks are just meaningless pranks," said Hibari with killer intent glittering in his eyes. "But of course, the damages put on Namimori will be fully returned to the originator."

Tsuna shrieked in fear. The dangerous aura emitting from Hibari's body was making Yotsuba nervous, also. In her heart, she knew that Hibari was undoubtedly strong. But if the originator was really Rokudou Mukuro as she had guessed, any side could win. And knowing Mukuro, as much as she could, he will probably play dirty.

The atmosphere lightened up suddenly with the melody of the Namimori school anthem. Both Tsuna and Yotsuba looked around to see where the music was coming from, and were both shocked to see that it was Hibari's ringtone.

_HOW LAME!_ The two of them exclaimed in their heads. Yotsuba eyed Tsuna from the corner of her eyes, and Tsuna nodded at her. They both backed away from the older boy slowly.

"Well, we'll be on our way to school now!" Tsuna said with a forced smile, but was stopped by Hibari.

"He's your friend, right?" Hibari addressed Tsuna suddenly, startling him. "Sasagawa Ryohei. He was attacked."

With one terrified look, Tsuna darted toward the hospital's direction. Yotsuba lagged behind, worrying that Hibari would act on instinct and go straight into Mukuro's trap. Reborn's calling pulled her back to reality, and she ran on. When they arrived at the hospital, Ryohei was already all bandaged up from head to toe. He even had an oxygen mask. Tsuna went berserk at the sight of all the bandages.

"How are your injuries?" Reborn asked calmly.

"Six broken bones, seven cracked, and," Ryohei answered casually with a smile, "look! I lost five of my teeth!"

Ryohei opened up his mouth proudly to show that five of his teeth in the front are missing. Tsuna screamed again at Ryohei's casual mood. Yotsuba, on the other hand, had a grim face on ever since she entered the hospital.

"Five…" Yotsuba muttered as she stared into space. Her hand lightly placed over her lips as she thought.

Reborn lifted his head to look at Yotsuba. "You noticed something, too?"

Yotsuba returned the look and nodded. Meanwhile, Tsuna continued to ask Ryohei about his wellbeing.

"That guy… although he appeared careless, he was probably a strong fighter!" Ryohei said.

"Eh?" Tsuna cried. "You saw the attacker?"

Yotsuba's head snapped toward Ryohei. Rushing toward the bed, she grabbed Ryohei by the shoulder.

"You saw him?" Yotsuba pressed, "Sasagawa-senpai, please tell me how he looks like! Tell me every detail!"

Ryohei grimaced at the sudden weight on his shoulders, but Yotsuba's pleading eyes distracted him. He put on a rare, serious face and said, "Yup. He even knew my name! He wore the Kokuyou Junior High uniform, and he had blond hair. He had a strange scar across bridge of his nose and he put a lot of hairpins in his hair."

Each little detail from Ryohei's mouth confirmed Yotsuba's suspicion, to her dismay. Reborn watched as Yotsuba's face became paler and paler by the second. He was sure that the both of them were on the same page, maybe she was even ahead of him, by the way the she has gotten silent. Even when Kyoko hastily broke into the room to see her brother, Yotsuba was still in deep thought.

"Yotsuba," Reborn said, "What are you thinking about?"

Yotsuba's head snapped towards Reborn. She knelt down next to the baby hitman and whispered, "I think I know the enemy's plan. If I'm not mistaken, the next victim should be Kusakabe-senpai."

"What else do you know," Reborn smirked, "about the enemy?"

Yotsuba stared at Reborn for a while. "Rokudou Mukuro. I don't know much about him, but I'm sure Dino has gone back to research about the guy. Contact Dino and please don't get Tsuna involved until The Ninth has made a decision."

"Hmph." Reborn's smirk fell and led Tsuna out of the room. Yotsuba followed them, giving Kyoko a sympathetic look before exiting the room.

Once out of the room, Tsuna exploded. He grabbed the hair from the back of his head and shouted, "why is this happening?!" The fact that the hospital was filled with Nami students didn't' help. A classmate from the same class came running at them and told them that Mochida from the Kendo club had also been attacked. Not only that, several other Nami students, prefects or not prefects, were attacked since last night.

"They're targeting Nami students indiscriminately!" the boy said worriedly, making Tsuna even more frightened.

"Doesn't that mean that I could be next?!" Tsuna cried. "What should we do?!"

"Those self-defense classes don't sound too bad now, do they?" Reborn said casually.

The boy from Tsuna's class noticed a big man coming from behind and, immediately, thrust Tsuna's head down with his hand, bowing his own head also. "It's the vice-chairman, Kusakabe-san!"

Kusakabe walked down the hall with another prefect next to him. He didn't look a bit worried, being as fierce as he is. "Has anyone seen any sign of Iinchou?"

"No," the prefect next to him replied. "He's probably gone chasing the enemy. It's really only a matter of time before the culprits are totally annihilated.

As the two prefects walked along, Tsuna and the other boy got up happily. Thinking that Hibari will completely fix everything, the two boys started to celebrate like fan girls. On the other hand, Yotsuba's face became dead blue. With a turn at the heel, Yotsuba darted out the hospital.

"Yotsuba-chan?" Tsuna turned around and yelled after her. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back!" Yotsuba yelled back.

----------

Yotsuba was both relieved and horrified to see Hibari at the border in between Namimori and Kokuyou. As expected, Hibari had found the culprit of the assaults, and was ready to destroy the enemy completely. Yotsuba was glad that she found him before it was too late. Taking in a big breath, Yotsuba gave a last dash toward the black personage.

"Kyouya!" She strained a cry, panting hard from the running.

The head prefect stopped in his track. He turned to look at Yotsuba impatiently, annoyed that she had stopped him from ridding all the pranksters.

"Kyouya… don't go! It's dangerous!" Yotsuba huffed, her voice full of pleading.

Hibari raised an eyebrow at her, as if she was taunting him with the word "dangerous". Yotsuba's iron eyes glittered in front of him. They showed something that no one has ever shown him before, compassion. But compassion wasn't something that he needed. Not him, a carnivore.

"Punishment has to be brought upon those who defy me." Hibari said coldly. He turned his back to her and was ready to move on again.

After taking only one step, Yotsuba stopped him again. Her small, trembling hand grasped his strong one. Hibari's gaze traveled from her hand to her face. Her head was lowered so that her bangs covered her fearful eyes. _How naïve_, he thought, _her body's quiver gave her away._

"Kyouya…" she said through a whisper, "he's not what you think…"

Hibari did not budge, but just stared at her silently. Thinking that Hibari had decided not to go, Yotsuba slowly raised her head. However, the first thing she saw was the head of Hibari's tonfa, and then all she saw was the blue sky. Hibari struck her and she was sent five feet away from him.

Yotsuba sat up and held on to her throbbing forehead, sending Hibari a glare. Just as she was about to speak, Hibari stopped her.

"Because herbivores are weak, they group," said Hibari as he looked down at her. "When one wanders off alone, that one gets bitten."

With that said, Hibari turned again, this time entering into Kokuyou for real. Yotsuba gaped after Hibari's retrieving back, unable to register what he'd just said. Suddenly, it clicked in her head.

"Fuuta's ranking…" she muttered, "if Sasagawa-senpai is fifth, and Gokudera-kun is third…"

Yotsuba jumped up in a bolt and dialed Gokudera's number. She grunted as the answering machine from Gokudera's side told her that his phone was off. Letting out a breath, she took off running again.

_Please be safe…_

----------

Finding Gokudera was a lot faster than Yotsuba thought. He was walking around aimlessly at the entrance of the shopping district. Seeing that there was no sign of fighting on him, Yotsuba sighed in relief and ran towards him.

"Che," Gokudera looked at the coins in his palm. "Only sixty-five yen…"

"Gokudera-kun!!"

Gokudera looked up to see Yotsuba running up to him. Immediately he began to ask her the whereabouts of Tsuna, not giving her a chance to catch her breath.

"Oi, woman! Where were you and Juudaime today?"

"The hospital," said Yotsuba, "but that's not important! You're in trouble, Gokudera-kun!"

Gokudera raised an eyebrow at Yotsuba, clearly not hearing the latter part of her answer. "The hospital?! What happened to Juudaime?! I must go see him!"

Yotsuba rolled her eyes. "You… ah, never mind! At least I found you!"

Gokudera sent her a glare and turned around, about to walk in the direction of the hospital. Yotsuba followed behind after taking a breath, but the two of them were stopped by a young boy. The boy wore a white beanie and glasses, his body hunched over as he stuck his hands into his uniform pockets. In a monotonous voice, the boy said, "Namimori Junior High, Class 2-A, seat number 8… Gokudera Hayato."

Gokudera raised his head to look at the unwelcomed company. Yotsuba gasped in recognition of the boy's identity. The boy that had damaged her body ruthlessly was standing again before her, this time his target being Gokudera.

"Chikusa…" Yotsuba muttered, recalling the name from Mukuro's lips. Gokudera noticed the uneasy atmosphere rising in the air as Yotsuba's body tensed up beside him. But he didn't have the luxury to know what's going on as the boy spoke again.

"Let's get this over with." The glasses on the boy gave a murderous glint. "I don't like to sweat…"

----------

TBC.

A/N: man, I'm so sorry that this chapter is so short! Even though it took me so long to update, this chapter was harder than I expected. In the end, it turned to be almost just a retelling of the events in the manga with Yotsuba in it. I sincerely apologize!

[IMPORTANT] Another thing is that many of you have asked me to decide whoever to pair with Yotsuba, or to make a poll. After making a rough outline of the whole story, I've decided that I'm going to pair Yotsuba with Mukuro. It might not seem appropriate yet, but I'm sure it will later on. So, instead of making a poll of the main male character, I'm making a poll of the character that's going to be the other side of the love triangle! Which means that eventually he will be rejected by Yotsuba, but in most of the plot Yotsuba will kind of love him since Mukuro doesn't have a lot of appearance at all in the manga. I'm going to be making the poll soon, so look out!


	13. Breaking the Cocoon

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 13: Breaking the Cocoon**

Yotsuba's body seemed to have stupefied at the sight of the yo-yo player. Gokudera thought strange of Yotsuba's behavior, and wondered what was special about the boy standing before them. His attire was certainly strange. Gokudera has never seen the uniform in Namimori before, and the barcode imprinted on the boy's face was even more mind-boggling.

"What do you want?" Gokudera asked in a rude tone.

"Kokuyou High, 2nd year, Kakimoto Chikusa," replied Kakimoto, not hiding any part of his identity. "I came here to break you."

Gokudera stared into the emotionless eyes of Kakimoto, and let out a sigh. "What is with you gangsters from other schools these days? And here I was hoping for an ordinary life…"

Yotsuba eyed Gokudera worriedly. Thinking that Kakimoto wasn't someone to be underestimated of, she was worried about Gokudera's careless ways. Kakimoto was clearly not affected by the down-talk coming from Gokudera, which showed that he was pretty confident with himself.

Seeing that Kakimoto had nothing to say, Gokudera continued, "All right. Since you asked, I'm not a man who runs away from a fight when invited."

Just then, at the worst time, two men in their early-twenty's stepped out of a café and saw the conflict. Their eyes showed interest, and they didn't seem to want to leave.

"Hey! It's a fight between junior high schoolers!"

"Looks interesting! Let's watch!"

Kakimoto only looked at the two bystanders for half a minute before he shot out hundreds of needles with a swing of arm so fast that his arm looked as if it didn't move at all. The needles hit directly on the two men's foreheads. Blood spewed out from between the metal and the skin, the men's faces were soon covered by the crimson color. Yotsuba and Gokudera were horrified.

"What did you do that for?!" Gokudera bellowed, unbelieving the scene in front of him.

Yotsuba's face went dead white. "You bastard! They had nothing to do with this!"

Kakimoto glared at Yotsuba coldly, "Mikami Yotsuba. You really saved me time; Mukuro-sama wanted you alive."

Yotsuba shuddered at the spoken name. Kakimoto saw the swaying in her eyes and took the chance. Deadly needles were flying at her, toward the exact spot of the old wound. Yotsuba stood frozen in her place, but Gokudera reacted just in time. Surprised that Kakimoto aimed for Yotsuba first instead of himself, Gokudera quickly pushed Yotsuba away, but not quickly enough for himself.

A fine red line appeared under his left cheekbone. The shocking color against his pale skin seemed to have made Yotsuba's stiffen even more. She looked up from the ground to see Gokudera's expression. It was one full of anger and a dangerous air surrounded the silver-haired boy.

"Bastard," Gokudera growled, "Reborn-san said: a good hitman must be gentle toward women!"

With that said, the battle has begun. Grabbing a limp Yotsuba in a hurry, Gokudera dragged her backwards into the nearest alley. Kakimoto chased on without another thought, but was caught in Gokudera's trap. The sky was covered with lit dynamites, all falling down toward Kakimoto. But Kakimoto wasn't that easy; he quickly took out his yo-yo, and, with a few tricks, he stopped the sparks before the dynamites could explode. Gokudera watched the movements of the yo-yo carefully. Clicking his tongue as needles shot from the yo-yo, he grabbed Yotsuba beside him and got out of the alley.

_This guy is not a normal junior high student_, thought Gokudera. Turning toward a silent Yotsuba, he shouted into her ear, "Idiot! If you're scared then run away! Don't get in my way!"

Gokudera and Kakimoto continued to fight, but Yotsuba stayed behind. Her fists tightened on their hold at the cloth of her shorts. She wanted to help, really. But why can't she move? She was beaten by the yo-yo player once, brutally, could she go against him again? Could she even get a hold of him with those trembling hands? Yotsuba gasped as Gokudera used mini bombs to give himself a push.

_Gokudera is fighting hard… while I cower here by myself_, she thought, _if I could just be braver… If I could just be braver…_

"_Yocchan… You want to protect them, right?"_

An explosion woke Yotsuba from her thoughts; Gokudera has beaten Kakimoto with his double bombs. She widened her eyes in surprise. Gokudera was really that strong? _How embarrassing_, she thought, _Gokudera-kun has beaten the enemy while I just sulked by myself._ As if just returning home from work, Gokuder plopped down next to where Yotsuba sat on the ground and took out a cigarette.

"He was the one, wasn't' he?" Gokudera said after taking a long drag.

"Eh?" Yotsuba said confusedly.

"The one that attacked you before," Gokudera said looking at her. "I knew when he used the needles. That explains why you were so scared."

Yotsuba looked away, flustered in the cheeks. Gokudera stared at the silent girl for a while, thinking that she was a lot weaker than he thought. How did such a fragile girl end up in the mafia world, anyway? And how was she involved with dangerous people like Kakimoto? He was about to ask her when she spoke.

"I'm sorry for being useless," Yotsuba lowered her head. "If only I was stronger…"

Yotsuba had always been hard to figure out. Right now, whether or not this is her real self, Gokudera didn't like it. Even if she's pretending, he liked it better when she argued with him and caused troubles for everyone. Gokudera's hand twitched, wanting to loosen the furrowed lines between her brows with his fingers, but he couldn't do it.

"You won't get stronger just by wishing."

Yotsuba peeked at Gokudera from the corner of her eyes; she felt embarrassed of being the way she is. Gokudera must look down on her now, and she didn't like that, but what can she do about it?

"But being strong is not a _supposed_ thing," Gokudera continued, "You can just as you are right now, and I... we will take care of everything else."

Yotsuba turned to look at Gokudera, who took another long drag on his cigarette. He didn't look at her, but she felt a tingling feeling in her chest. Before Yotsuba could say anything to him, Tsuna's wary voice sounded out in the distance. Their heads shot up to see the worried boy run towards them.

"Gokudera-kun! Yotsuba-chan!"

"Juudaime! Why are you here?!" Gokudera exclaimed, immediately sitting up from his lazy position.

"I was just worried… you know, there were rumors about Gokudera-kun being targeted! And Yotsuba-chan was gone for a long time and… she was targeted before and… you know, what if and stuff…" Tsuna said in a rushed a worried voice, his sentences barely making sense. Yotsuba felt, again, that tingling warmth.

Gokudera sat in a bowing position and said proudly, "Sorry for the trouble! But I already took care of the guy!"

"Eh?! So it's true?!"

"He should be somewhere down over there…" Gokudera's voice trailed and his smile fell as he realized that his finger was pointing at something that wasn't there.

"You saved me a lot of time…" a low, calm voice sounded from the side. The three of them turned to see Kakimoto, still alive, standing above them. His uniform torn and disheveled, and blood dripped from his face to his hands. Smoke emitted from his body where bombs hit.

Tsuna was first to panic. Gokudera became alert and prepared to fight again.

"Yotsuba! Protect Juudaime!"

"Ehh?!" Yotsuba was startled at Gokudera's command. When Kakimoto charged again with his yo-yo, her feet wouldn't move. Neither would Tsuna's.

A flash of silver swept over their eyes. Tsuna found himself safe and out of harm, and Gokudera guarding in front of him, sacrificing his own body. Yotsuba's heart almost stopped beating at the sight. Tens and hundreds of needles stuck ruthlessly on Gokudera's chest; his face became dead white. In a voice with barely any power left, Gokudera told Tsuna to escape. After that being said, Gokudera collapsed.

"Gokudera-kun! Are you all right?! GOKUDERA-KUN!!"

Tsuna's shouts echoed in Yotsuba's head. Gokudera was beaten… is he dead? Is he still alive? Tears welled up in her eyes as the pool of Gokudera's blood widened. If she had pulled Tsuna away, Gokudera wouldn't be like this right now. Why didn't she save him? It was always someone else that protected her. If she wanted to protect them so badly, why couldn't she move?

She was afraid. No, she shouldn't be. She wasn't the helpless girl in the rain anymore, she was stronger.

Yet… these tears wouldn't stop falling.

"_Yocchan… You want to protect them, right?"_

But tears are things that can be wiped away with just a scrub of the sleeve.

With a clean movement of her arms, Yotsuba moved in front of the two boys, iron eyes dry and determined. Her eyes were filled with as much emotion as the ones of Kakimoto. Tsuna looked at Yotsuba worriedly.

"Tsuna…" she muttered, "take care of Hayato-kun, please."

"Eh?"

Yotsuba turned her head around, showing Tsuna a familiar sleepy smile. "I won't let that barbarian hurt you."

Before Tsuna could say anything in reply, Yotsuba took a step and charged at Kakimoto. Kakimoto's eyes widened barely noticeably, but attacked with his yo-yo nonetheless. Yotsuba leapt from the left to the right, dodging the chasing yo-yo balls, her eyes kept on the movement on the balls.

_So I was right, _she thought, _that Mukuro really wanted me alive, or else Kakimoto would've used the needles. _

"In that case… I don't have to worry…" murmured Yotsuba, and started to charge straight at Kakimoto.

Kakimoto raised an eyebrow, and attacked without much thought. To his surprise, the girl did not dodge this time. Instead, she watched the yo-yo carefully, and reached out a hand. With one incomprehensible motion, all Kakimoto could see was his yo-yo being diverted back at him. Quickly, he held back his hand and pulled the yo-yo back into his palms. But as he looked forward, Yotsuba was gone from his eyes. Just as he was preoccupied with the yo-yo, she had leapt over him and landed behind him.

_If I just look at the yo-yo as a person, I can divert its direction just like I can to a person, _she smiled at her success.

Taking out a pocket knife, Yotsuba raised it to strike at Kakimoto from the back. Kakimoto turned back as soon as he realized that she was behind him. The tip of the pocket knife made contact with Kakimoto's shoulder, but Yotsuba's thrill was cut short in only a second. The close distance gave Kakimoto a chance to take hold of Yotsuba, who fell right into the trap. Kakimoto locked Yotsuba's throat with his fingers, making her choke at the sudden restriction.

"Yotsuba-chan!" Yotsuba could hear Tsuna yell in the distance.

Yotsuba glared at Kakimoto, who held her up in the air with his hand. Her heart pounded in her chest, as the murder intent from Kakimoto's eyes pierced through her body.

In a flash of an eye, she was released, as she saw a first collide with the jaw of Kakimoto. Yotsuba landed in someone's arms, and she looked up to see Yamamoto. Yamamoto's expression was angry and rare; it made Yotsuba's heart stopped a bit. The boys stared down at each other. A few breathless moments passed and Kakimoto turned away with a click of his heels.

"You're Ken's prey. I don't want to deal with the trouble if I interrupt," Kakimoto said as he walked away.

When Kakimoto was out of their sight, the three of them rushed over to Gokudera's unconscious body. They shook him and shook him, awaiting him to wake up. Yotsuba felt her eyes water again, and something else blurred her eyes other than the tears. In just a few seconds, she was out cold.

----------

An alcoholic scent invaded Yotsuba's nostrils and her eyebrows wriggled. She could feel a wait on top of her body, which was lying down on a soft surface. She heard Bianchi's voice shouting something emotionally, but her head hurt so much that she could not understand. She tried lifting her heavy eyelids several times, but they just won't move.

"I WILL ATTEND TO HAYATO'S WOUNDS! IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET IN MY WAY, STEP OUTSIDE!" Bianchi's voice echoed in the room.

Yotsuba's eyes finally gave in and fluttered open.

"Yotsuba-chan! You're awake!" exclaimed Yamamoto, who rushed toward the side of the bed she occupied.

"Takeshi-kun…" she said in her sleepy voice, "thanks for saving me from that guy…"

"What are you saying? It's something I should do!" Yamamoto said, smiling gently.

"Where am I?"

"The school infirmary. Reborn said that the hospital is dangerous, so we brought you and Gokudera-kun here!" Tsuna explained, looking at her worriedly. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine… where's Hayato-kun?"

"He's on that bed over there."

Yotsuba shifted her head to look across the room. Gokudera lied on the bed motionlessly, his chest heaved up and down as he breathed heavily from the oxygen mask. His shut-tight eyes tugged at Yotsuba's heart, and so did the painful eyes of Bianchi, who was tending to his wounds.

_If only I was stronger… if only I wasn't afraid…_

Yotsuba's eyes closed up again as painful thoughts filled up her brain.

----------

"_That's not fair, nii-chan! You said you'd go easy on me!" _

_Yotsuba was only six years old when she started to train on fighting. The Ninth had scheduled many self-defense lessons for the little girl, but she was just too unenthusiastic to learn diligently. The girl had skipped countless lessons, and no one seemed to reprimand her. Yotsuba had never realized how weak she was until she went against her older brother, who was merciless even toward a little girl. _

"_You're not going to survive this world if you don't become strong," the red-eyed youth said coldly. _

_Yotsuba lied aching on the grassy field, where she was beaten down by own brother. She could not stand back up no matter how hard she tried. The red-eyed boy let out a big breath before picking her up and setting her down under a tree. The two of them sat there silently._

"_Why are you so strong, nii-chan?"_

"_Because you're so weak."_

_Yotsuba stared at the young man, not understanding his words._

"_So if you can't survive this world when I'm not around, I might die somewhere else."_

_----------_

A grim atmosphere surrounded the city of Namimori the next day. Tsuna put on his favorite clothes, which earned himself questionings from Nana. Tsuna sighed as he studied the clueless faces of his mother, Lambo, and I-pin. He remembered the peaceful and ordinary lives they had just a few days ago. They all seemed so far away all of a sudden. It didn't help when Reborn informed him of the last Dying Will Bullet.

"Is anyone home?" Yamamoto's voice interrupted Tsuna's thoughts.

Yamamoto came into the room with a basket of sushi and tea. Tsuna sweat-dropped at Yamamoto's casual mood; clearly he doesn't realize the danger of their mission. Bianchi also entered the room, threatening Yamamoto with her poison cooking.

"All that's left is Gokudera-kun now," Tsuna said, "It's unlike him to be late, thought."

"He's been outside for a while!" Yamamoto said, pointing outside the window.

Tsuna advanced to the window and found Gokudera creeping around outside of his house, avoiding the face of his older sister.

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna called out as he exited his house, catching Gokudera in his act.

"Geh! Juudaime!"

"Don't worry, Gokudera-kun! We've successfully persuaded Bianchi to cover up her face so you won't be affected!" Tsuna said assuringly. Bianchi appeared behind him in the squirrel costume.

Tsuna smiled as Gokudera didn't pass out at the appearance of Bianchi. Even though his heartbeat was fast and heavy, the presence of his friends calmed him and made him feel more confident. A rapid footstep came from behind them as they were about to set out to Kokuyou.

"Tsuna-kun!" Tsuna turned to see Yotsuba running toward them.

"Yotsuba-chan! What are you doing here?"

"I want to go with you guys," Yotsuba said, her newfound courage surprising the people present.

"But… are you sure you're all right?"

"If Hayato-kun is fine, I am too," Yotsuba said determinedly, "I just hope I won't be useless this time."

Tsuna frowned, but smiled warmly a second later at her. "You're not useless at all, Yotsuba-chan. If it weren't for you yesterday, I wouldn't have any idea of what to do if Kakimoto attacked me!"

Yotsuba returned the smile just as warmly as Tsuna's. The six of them set out toward their destination together. All their faces showed determination. They swallowed down their fears and let their courage rise. Each of their steps firm as they walked for the same purpose: to protect the ones standing beside them, to protect the days they have lost.

"_So if you can't survive this world when I'm not around, I might die somewhere else."_

"_Then I will protect you, nii-chan! I won't let anyone touch you!"_

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Man, another short chapter… I'm sorry! I seem to have a bit of writer's block lately. I've also been quite busy with school, but I hope I'll be able to create something good for the next chapters! Please bear with me through this low stage! Lastly, the poll is up! Please review & vote!


	14. Sacrifice

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 14: Sacrifice**

The way to Kokuyou center was quiet and filled with an intense atmosphere. Yotsuba, who knew the way, led the group to the run-down entertainment facility. Though walking in the very front, Yamamoto could sense the unusual aura that Yotsuba emits from her back. To be honest, Yamamoto did not like the idea of Yotsuba joining them in this fight. Not that Yotsuba isn't strong enough, but that she seems to have complicated feelings recently, and that might become a nuisance on the battle field. He was definitely surprised to see how determined Yotsuba was when she asked to come along. Even though he worried that Yotsuba might get hurt on this journey, he could not help but think that she is admirable for stepping up the way she did. The corner of Yamamoto's mouth curled up; in any case, he could protect her.

Yamamoto wasn't the least wrong when he thought that Yotsuba had mixed feelings. The thoughts going on in Yotsuba's head were so tangled up that she doesn't even notice that she was walking. There were so many opportunities that she could've turned her heels and walk away, but she didn't. Her feet brought her forward even when she couldn't even feel her toes. But she knew she couldn't run away anymore, because when you've got nowhere else to run, you'll end up where you started. And that's one place she did not want to go back to.

Without a definite idea of time, Yotsuba realized that they've arrived at the front gate of Kokuyou Center, which is now rusted and deranged. Tsuna was surprised that he remembered such a place, as he had been here before when he was young. To see that it's so rundown now, it really puzzled him.

"Oi," Gokudera threw a look at Yotsuba, even though she did not face him, "You don't suppose there's a way we can sneak up at them, do you?"

"Well," Yotsuba said swiftly, "since they're the ones that provoked us, they should be expecting us anyway. We might as well throw them off by breaking in through the front."

"I like the way you think," Bianchi said coldly, holding up a plate of poison cooking. With a touch of the deadly food, the metal bars melted immediately and allowed them to walk in. Yotsuba studied Bianchi's expression closely. Bianchi is seriously ticked off this time, because her own brother was injured. Because of this simple and natural reason, Bianchi is not afraid of what's yet to come. In her mind, Yotsuba admired Bianchi; for a simple reason, maybe she could be strong, too.

Because it's not the time to be weak anymore.

-----YOTSUBA POV-----

The moment that I opened my eyes, an old, kind and friendly face, one that I've never been familiar with, appeared in my sight. The unfamiliarity almost scared me to death.

"_You're awake! How are you feeling?"_

The old, wrinkly hand that held firmly onto mine was very gentle, just like his voice. These hands that ran through my hair, my forehead, my cheeks calmed my thumping heart. His gestures were so careful that I wondered if he'd already known me before.

"_I don't think that kid has ever done something like this before. What's your name?"_

"_My name… is Timoteo."_

Those were the hands that first touched me when I entered the mafia world. The first kind and accepting hands, they were.

Even though I've cursed the world so many times after my parents left me, I really consider myself quite lucky, quite blessed. Many people say that this world of mafia doesn't value right or wrong. It's a world where the powerful survives, and the weak must face death. But not only did the first hands I saw have no betrayal, no suspicion, no evil intentions… they even made me remember my family.

"_Mikami Yotsuba. My name is Mikami Yotsuba."_

…Maybe that is one of the powers that supports me, pushes me to survive in this world.

"The person who would treatment baseball as something more than his friends is no more," said Yamamoto after sacrificing his own arm to defeat Joushima Ken. The burning red color of the blood that ran down his arm pained my eyes. The unpleasant smell of it made me unable to open my mouth.

Shouldn't I be used to it? Being in the world of mafia for so long, after all.

"Stab me! With the knife or anything, just stab me!" shouted Tsuna when he saw that Kyoko's life was in danger from the bird-man. The determination in his eyes made me shiver, because in that determination, there was also fear. But with or without the fear, Tsuna was going to give up his life for Kyoko's.

But the bird-man's screen broadcasted the defeat of the creepy twins. Dr. Shamal and I-pin and Lambo arrived in time to save Kyoko and Haru. The others were relieved and readied to move on; but the rock in my chest just kept getting heavier and heavier.

If I lived, someone would die. If I died, someone would live. Could I ever be Tsuna? Giving up my life to someone else's? And in that moment of hesitation, would everything be too late?

"I… can't go back to where everyone is." That was what Fuuta said before disappearing into the woods. The darkness in Fuuta's eyes shook me; where did your innocence go? Where is the starlight that used to sparkle in your eyes?

With that, Fuuta ran back into the woods, all for the sake of trying to protect all of us from Rokudou Mukuro. Tsuna quickly followed Fuuta, leaving us behind.

I closed my eyes as the two of them entered the woods. My muscles tensed at the thought of all that has happened. All the fighting, all the violence. It was then when I realized how much I hated violence. It was then when I realized that for all this time that I've been with the mafia, I was only able to live because of all the people that protected me.

…_because you're so weak._

Why the fighting? Why the pain? Rokudou Mukuro, what is your wish? What is your wish, that you'd prepare all of this bloodshed to achieve? Do you have… something that you want to protect, too?

-----NORMAL POV-----

"I won't let you touch them."

Standing a few feet in front two fallen bodies, Yotsuba declared to the tall man facing her. The tall man fooled the others to believe that he is the real Mukuro, but she knew otherwise. But there's still no doubt that this man was strong. But the strength of the opponent wasn't something she could think about anymore. Both Yamamoto and Gokudera were beaten, and Bianchi definitely cannot take on this guy's weapon.

The fake Mukuro stared down at Yotsuba with a belittling gaze. "A piece of dirt like you, I can destroy with just one finger! Do you really think you can protect anyone?"

Yotsuba's body twitched at the vicious man's comment. Although scared, her eyes were fixed on the enemy's. "You're right. Maybe I am weak and I can't protect anyone," Yotsuba said slowly through gritted teeth, while the man looked at her amusingly. "Ever since I was little, everyone around me spoiled me. Even my brother… he never dared to really hurt me. I can't say that you're wrong, but…"

_In a world like this, weaklings are dirt, but…_

"But if I can sacrifice myself for the people I care about, I am not dirt!" Yotsuba said as she made her pet yeti magnify in size. "Mukuro" looked taken back for a slight second, but sneered at the ferocious creature.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" he barked as the giant iron ball flew at Yotsuba and Kabi.

The yeti opened his arms wide and bent his knees. With a crush, he locked the iron ball in between his arms. Several cracks could be heard from Kabi's body, and his expression only showed pain, but he held on to the ball as hard as he could. In that split second, Yotsuba charged toward "Mukuro", catching him by surprise. Tears were already circling in her eyes, but her legs did not even tremble.

"I really don't want to hurt anyone, but…" Yotsuba murmured. Her fist tightened and, before "Mukuro" could come to his senses, Yotsuba stroke him with a huge blow. But "Mukuro" wasn't that easy to defeat; he quickly stood steady on his feet after being pushed about five feet away by the blow. He rubbed the swollen cheek with the back of his hand and spit out a broken tooth. To Yotsuba's disappointment, she could not touch him for the next series of attempted hits.

"Mukuro" smirked at this; he's already figured her out. With a swift motion, he tugged at the chains that connected to the iron ball. A loud cry could be heard from behind Yotsuba, but she couldn't look. She knew how badly Kabi must have been injured, but the tears in her eyes and the thumping in her heart made it uneasy to think. She charged on towards "Mukuro", but the iron ball came straight from the back.

"Yotsuba-chan!"

She could not even hear Bianchi's warning cry, and the iron ball collided with her back. It felt like all of her organs were going to break through the front of her body. She opened her mouth to scream, but choked on the blood that rushed out of her throat. The next she knew, she was rolling on the ground, tens of feet away from the rest of the Vongola.

Everything was spinning in her head, and it hurt, too. But somehow she could still hear, when the familiar, childish voice of Reborn saying, "Go all out on this. It's the last one!"

With that, Yotsuba immediately opened her eyes. Struggling to stand up, she could barely cough out, "Don't shoot it!"

But when she was able to turn around and look, Reborn had already shot the last Dying Will Bullet. Tsuna has stopped the iron ball empty handed from hurting Bianchi. Yotsuba was frozen in place; she could not even feel her legs when a shrunken Kabi came and nudged at them. _The last bullet, _she thought, _if I'd told Reborn earlier… the last bullet wouldn't have gone to waste for the fake Mukuro. _She watched in both horror and relief as Tsuna finally defeated "Mukuro".

"He's not Mukuro," Yotsuba said before Tsuna could celebrate for his victory. "I should've said this earlier, but I didn't have the time to. He's not Mukuro; the real one must be inside the building."

Tsuna and the rest turned to look at Yotsuba with gaping mouths; even Reborn's face darkened a little. The fake Mukuro silently stared into Yotsuba's eyes for a while and chuckled, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"The little lady is right, my real name is Lanchia," he said, and began to talk about his past, his Family, and the cruel things that Mukuro has done to him. Yotsuba, Tsuna, and the rest of the company listened intently as the bloody images of Lanchia's past flashed into their minds. The more he said, the grimmer the looks on their faces became.

It was especially hard for Yotsuba to imagine these deaths. Truth be told, Yotsuba is just like any ordinary teenagers; she hasn't, in all fifteen years of her life, seen a dead body. Not counting the corpses on the news paper, or the fake ones on CSI, she hasn't even seen her parents' dead bodies in person. The only time that she's seen a dead corpse was the time that an old butler of hers died in his sleep. In the coffin, the old man crossed his hands over his stomach, sleeping peacefully in an eternal slumber. She could not imagine, that the man who used to play with her, take care of her, and even listen to her secrets, was someone so motionless and lifeless.

And yet, Lanchia had to face the worst kind of deaths, the deaths of his Family by his own two hands. She could not imagine the feeling when he'd open his two eyes to see the hollow, bloodstained eyes of his Family. The feeling of his feet when stepping over his Family's dead body, the feeling of something sticky under his shoes and the sound of it.

Crack. Something in her heart cracked into several pieces; her hands felt numb and she couldn't lift them. _What gentle expressions would Lanchia have, if Mukuro didn't manipulate him?_

Tsuna and the others seemed to feel the same way as Yotsuba felt. Standing straight and tall, they were even more fired up to defeat Mukuro. Leaving Yamamoto behind with Lanchia somewhere safe, they moved on into the building. _Kufufu, kufufu, _Yotsuba could almost hear as her feet dragged her numbed body inside the rundown building. Her heart began to thump again and a great volume of blood seemed to rush into her brain. As Kakimoto caught up to them and Gokudera decided to stay behind and take care of business, Yotsuba's body started to gain feelings again. Before climbing up the emergency ladder to where Mukuro is, she looked back at Gokudera, who had an unusually gentle expression upon his face. Gripping the bars of the ladder tightly, Yotsuba ascended into the last room.

"Gokudera-kun, you'll be the last sacrifice…"

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Hello, all! Sorry for the boring chapter after a long period of no updates! I really want to keep the plot close to the original manga, and I didn't want to just rewrite the manga in words with an added character in it. I know this chapter is pretty boring, but I had to get through with it, so that I can get to the important part in the next chapter. And even though the chapter is boring, please still review! I didn't get many reviews for the last chapter, and I was kind of afraid that it was very bad. Lastly, I hope that everyone is fine with the POV change in the middle of the story, and I hope it'll be fine if I did it more in the later chapters. Hope you enjoyed this one!


	15. Rokudou Mukuro, Part I

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 15: Rokudou Mukuro, Part I**

**-----**YOTSUBA POV-----

_I remember on one sunny day, when I was only nine years old, I was on my way to the Chiavarrone mansion to find Dino. There was a small crack on the floor. Not really looking at where I was going, my foot was caught and I fell hard on the ground. But when I lifted my head, a man held out his hand to me and lifted me up. He had the most gentle, sweet smile on his face; with a caring voice he asked me, "Are you all right, little miss?"_

_I nodded my head timidly, making a small smile at the kind man. Giving me a pat on the head, the man moved back onto his road, and I kept walking towards Dino's place. When I got to the mansion, Dino came running at me._

"_Did you bring the wallet that I forgot?" he asked me._

"_Yeah, it's right he—", my sentence stopped short as I felt my empty pocket. Taking a look, the inside of my pocket was pulled out, and the wallet was gone._

_The gentleman took the wallet when he was helping me up. The gentleman with the kind smile took it. At that instant I felt ashamed. How did I get fooled so easiy?_

…_just because he had a seemingly honest smile?_

_-----_NORMAL POV-----

"Oi, stupid woman, you better protect Juudaime when I'm not there!" was the last thing that Gokudera said to Yotsuba when he turned to fight with Chikusa.

The tint of confidence in Gokudera's voice comforted Yotsuba's racing heart as she, once again, entered Mukuro's sanctuary. Just like the first time, Mukuro sat in the middle of the long couch with the most relaxed composition.

"Rokudou Mukuro…" Yotsuba couldn't help but mutter his name.

"Kufufu… my little clover! I missed you. I knew that you were going to bring Vongola to me sooner or later," a smile splattered across Mukuro's deadly, pale face. "You're such a good girl."

Shiver. A chill started at her feet to the tip of her hairs. A piece of inerasable darkness seemed to remain in her heart; she tried hard to suppress the fear boiling inside her. But it seemed like Mukuro saw all of it, and his smile told her that he was very amused by her performance. His smile seemed to make fun of her efforts of struggle.

Even so, thinking of the encouraging words of the blonde angel, the accepting smile of the young Vongola leader, the gentle hands of the baseball player, the rough kindness of the silver-haired boy, and the fearless black personage that she always followed behind, a new courage was born.

"Where are Fuuta and Hibari-senpai?" Yotsuba asked with a determined voice.

A slight unhappiness sparkled in Mukuro's eyes as he saw the change in Yotsuba's expression, as he heard the change in her voice.

"You won't escape this place a second time," a strange light seemed to shine in the blood red color of Mukuro's right eye. "Rest, my lady, we still have a long time waiting for us to spend with each other!"

The smile on Mukuro's face had no temperature, no emotion.

"Both you and the Vongola."

----------

BANG.

The cruel sound of a gun echoed in the rundown constructions of the Kokuyou Center. For a second, Yotsuba thought the world was only black and white, and someone had pressed the "slow motion" button on the time of life; the scene in front of her eyes played so slowly. No one expected that Mukuro would point a gun at himself, and end his own life.

The Six Reincarnations. Mukuro, having the powers of the Six Reincarnations in the cursed right eye, his power seemed unbeatable. His aura was so ghostly, and so cold that it felt like the place was snowing.

Yotsuba was stupefied when a controlled Fuuta stabbed Mukuro's weapon into Bianchi's stomach. Everything was spinning in her head; everything was going out of the ordinary now. Stumbling, she attempted to move Bianchi's body to somewhere safe, as Mukuro fought casually with a struggling Tsuna. From the State of Hell to the State of Animals, unimaginable powers, unimaginable strength.

_What kind of being are you, Mukuro?_

As if to end a magic show, at the last second, Hibari arrived with Gokudera at his shoulder.

"Are you ready? I'm going to bite you to death!"

"Kyouya…" watching Hibari and Mukuro fight with amazing speeds, Yotsuba gradually woke from her trance.

Although finally seeing Hibari, Yotsuba was even more worried as she saw the countless of wounds and bruises on Hibari's body. The clean, white uniform shirt was now tainted with blood and mud. Yotsuba has never seen Hibari in this kind of state. Yet, Hibari still fought as if he wasn't hurt at all.

_Kyouya… I can't believe he was treated this way. The Kyouya… who always seemed so tough and strong…_

Not long after, a winner was born. Mukuro collapsed from underestimating Hibari's strength. But right after Mukuro collapsed, Hibari also lost consciousness.

"Kyouya!" Yotsuba ran to Hibari's side as he fell.

"In that kind of state, he's still determined to defeat Mukuro. Seems like his earlier defeat was quite impactful!" Reborn commented at the side.

Listening to Reborn's words, Yotsuba ran her fingers through Hibari's messy black hair. Always sure about what he does, unbeatable pride and dignity, maybe that's the reason why Hibari is so strong. A small smile crept up to Yotsuba's face as she thought.

All of a sudden, as everyone relaxed, Mukuro arose.

----------

Manipulation of the body. The moment that Bianchi slashed Yotsuba's arm with Mukuro's weapon, Yotsuba felt it so very clearly: the cruel, cold aura that haunted her for so long these days. That tear-threatening aura that seem to burst out from a possessed Bianchi. Rokudou Mukuro was trying to take her body, she knew it. At the same time, Tsuna started to realize that something was wrong. But before he could do anything, Yotsuba felt a dizziness rush through her head, and her body gave out. As the scenery blurred in front of her eyes, Yotsuba cursed in her head to not being alert enough.

----------

_So dark…_

When Yotsuba opened her eyes, all so saw was a fog that was gray and white. There was no sound at all. To Yotsuba's surprise, she did not feel the emptiness and fear she expected to feel in this place. Instead, she felt emotions so dense and so deep that hid in the fog surrounding her.

_Is it loneliness?_

Yotsuba took a step. One by one, Yotsuba walked aimlessly through the fog with slow steps. Suddenly, a ball of light appeared in front of Yotsuba. Amazed yet captivated, Yotsuba reached out her hand. As soon as her finger touched the light substance, thousands of thin rays shot out and enveloped her body.

"?!"

"_No! I will never hand over this child to you!"_

"_Stop being ridiculous! The Family _needs_ these kids! They're our only hope!"_

When Yotsuba opened her eyes, the gray fog no longer greets, but replaced by a dimly lit room. All in all, it was somewhat a fancy room. However, the weird thing was that all the curtains were shut closed, shutting out all the sunlight. In the dark and humid room, a man and woman are having argument. Yotsuba noticed right away the young, eight-year-old boy behind the woman's back. The little boy grasped the hem of the woman's skirt tightly as he watched words thrown back and forth between the two adults. His little body seemed to shiver more noticeably every second. Yotsuba thought that the scene cannot get any more familiar.

"He's your child! Your _blood_ runs through his body! And you have the heart to send him to that… that _hell_ of a laboratory! Just… just for that experiment that won't even succeed!" the woman screamed, tugging the little boy behind her.

"Shut up! For the sake of the Family, a little sacrifice is all we need!" the man said, a smile full of madness crept up to his face, "The experiment will succeed… and once that happens, we can teach those higher-rank mafias a lesson!"

"If it weren't for your _stupid_ boss wanting to produce that weapon, we wouldn't have to hide our identity like _rats!_"

An ear-piercing sound echoed throughout the dark room. The man, with a hand still raised in the air, stared down at the woman who covered her cheek emotionlessly. The little boy's tears finally broke out as he embraced the collapsed body of his mother. The woman looked back at the heartless man unbelievably, the man that she once loved so madly. Her tears, too, rolled down her cheeks one by one.

"I'm going to pick him up tomorrow morning," with that, the man slammed the door of the apartment. The only thing left were the sobbing of the little boy and the woman.

----------

Yotsuba blinked hard as the scenery in front of her changed again. A sick feeling came up from her stomach as she recognized the bloody corpse near the railing of the roof of a tall building. It was the woman that she had just saw, and the little boy was curled up in a corner, pale and shivering. A knife lied on the floor near the boy's feet.

_He killed her… _

The door of the entrance opened suddenly, and the man from before appeared. The man looked shocked for just a second.

"What happened here?" he asked, but the little boy did not answer. Shrugging indifferently, the man took the boy's little hand by force and pulled him away. The little boy did not try to struggle or shout; he silently followed the man toward a place where he would never see sunlight again.

Bringing the little boy to a dark laboratory, the man changed the little boy into white surgical clothing. Somewhat kindly, the man said to him, "this is all for the Family, please bear it!"

Leaving those last words to his only son, the man never came back.

The next man that greeted the little boy was dressed in surgeons' uniform. With a look of real sympathy, the man said, "from now on, your name will be Rokudou Mukuro."

Yotsuba was astonished. Not so much for the name of the little boy, but for the familiar man who gave him the dreadful name. She would never forget a man like that. The man who ruined her life, yet able to have the most honest face that fooled her so. The man who she decided to believe in despite of what he's done.

_Father…_

Rokudou, meaning the Six Reincarnations, a name that indicated his fate.

Mukuro, meaning dead corpse.

…A dead corpse for the sake of experiments.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: I just realized that I haven't updated for a whole month! I'm so sorry about that! I was having a lot of stress from school and I'm going through a series of important exams. I promise that I'll update more regularly after this week! Please review!


	16. Rokudou Mukuro, Part II

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 16: Rokudou Mukuro, Part II**

-----YOTSUBA POV-----

_It was my fifth birthday. It was the first day that I saw mommy cry. Daddy held mommy in his arms so tightly, telling her that it's okay. They didn't know that I was listening behind the door, but I heard everything. Daddy was going to become a spy for the Vongola Family. He is going to spy on a Family called the Estraneo Family. _

_A spy, shouldn't mommy be proud of daddy that he is doing such an important job? What I didn't know… was the truth about Estraneo, another name for hell. _

-----NORMAL POV-----

White walls of the laboratory, stacks and stacks of containers decorated the Estraneo laboratory. Children were either screaming and crying, or they were silent and cold. It seemed like nothing in the room had any warmth. Yotsuba watched the little boy named Rokudou Mukuro go through countless torturous experiments. Each time, unable to bear the pain, letting out cries and screeches; each time losing consciousness on the cold hard surface of the lab table. However, except for those times, the boy was quiet. Mukuro sat quietly against a wall, watching with fully opened eyes every fragile souls being crushed by the heartlessness of the adults.

Until that day – the day that the man came to Mukuro with an orange container. They've decided to take out the boy's right eye, and give him a new one. An eye with overwhelming power; and eye with six layers of curses.

"Trust me, this is going to help you…" the man said before putting the boy to sleep.

_Help you? Father…Were you doing this already before you left us? _Yotsuba wanted to ask, as she watched her father personally carry out the experiment.

The boy's painful screams filled the laboratory. He kept his struggle against the metal that pulled his hands and feet. But he knew that everything was useless. Because he saw, after days of observation, that everyone in this laboratory all have the same faces his father, his mother, a face of madness.

_So much pain… so much pain… _the boy noticed that this experiment was different from the usual. It was much for painful.

_Am I going to die? Am I going to die? _

Finally, the boy started to get scared. Even though he was still breathing, he felt death coming for him.

_No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die! _The boy shouted. The fear of death cleared his head, making him realize that he doesn't want to die at all. He wanted to live. I wanted to live, and make his revenge against this dark world.

_Kufufu…_

Suddenly, the boy heard someone's laughter.

_Ne, do you want revenge? Against this broken world?_

Listening to the voice, the boy opened his left eye slowly. Whiteness was the only thing he could see.

_Do you want power? Do you want power to get back at the world?_

The soft and luring voice tempted the boy's mind, until the boy nodded lightly towards the sky.

_I want revenge. Let everything… be destroyed…_

_Kufufu… then I'll lend you my powers. Open your eye. Open your right eye and I'll give you my powers…_

The surgery was successful. The boy was gained the blood-red eye and his life, and lost himself.

Yotsuba watched the rest of the story quietly. She watched countless of children being brought in, and watched countless of children die from the cruel treatments. At last, the boy with the cursed eye destroyed everything with his powers. Killing all the adults there, he escaped with two other boys.

"Let it all disappear, this worthless world…" the boy's words traveled into Yotsuba's ears as the images in front of her faded. Standing in front of her was the older version of that little boy, chuckling slightly. She couldn't help but whisper his name softly.

As if reading Yotsuba's mind, he said, "What do you think? Do you still think that this corrupt world, and mafias like them, is worth your time to protect?"

Step by step, Mukuro walked in front of Yotsuba. Placing a hand on her cheek, he caressed it softly and gently. "There's nothing to love about this world. What family? What love? What friends? When it comes to life and death, none of that counts for anything."

Yotsuba lowered her head; her mouth never opened.

"The world of mafias isn't as wonderful as you think. Hatred, betrayal, violence, blood, everything is filled with sin. Not just the mafias, the world is the same." He chuckled. "Why don't we let everything become a beautiful, red sea?"

Softly, he touched her forehead with his.

"Follow me?"

Finally, Yotsuba began to move. With shivering hands, she grasped his icy hands upon her cheeks with hers. But her head remained lowered. Mukuro smiled.

"Are you crying?"

Yotsuba raised her head. Tearlessly, her eyes locked with his. "I know that the world is not perfect, and I know that your world is much more corrupt than I imagined."

_She didn't cry, not even one drop of tear. But why does her expression show such pain and such struggle?_

"But, even so, I've found important things here. I've found… somewhere to belong. So even if the world is so corrupt, I don't want it to disappear… because… it let me meet them, and you."

Mukuro was taken back. He didn't know that she would say something like that.

"…Ma, don't give me that face. I don't need sympathy from mafias." Mukuro said. This time Yotsuba was taken back. She didn't know that he would put on such a face – a face with no darkness or hatred, but with a tint of understanding.

"Looks like manipulation failed this time," said Mukuro as he turned around, seemingly to leave.

"Mukuro!"

Mukuro stopped in his place, waiting for Yotsuba's words.

"You knew from the beginning… about my father…"

It was Mukuro's turn for silence.

"Don't you want revenge? To kill me… his only daughter… right now…"

Mukuro turned around with a smile on his face. His red eye was so dark that it seemed endless. "I think having you watch his deeds… is enough punishment for you…"

Yotsuba remained silent for a moment, but spoke not long after. "He didn't do anything wrong. You needed savior, and you will have it. Tsuna will win."

_Father… who held my mother so tightly… would never…_

Mukuro's eyes widened at her statement. He laughed. Not tauntingly, but Yotsuba could not read his expression. Mukuro started to fade into a silhouette as his laughter faded. Before she could say anything else, Yotsuba's consciousness fell back into darkness.

----------

"Yotsuba? Wake up!"

Yotsuba's eyes opened slowly as Reborn's voice woke her. She propped herself up, and saw the bright, burning fire on Tsuna's forehead. The determined eyes were even brighter to Yotsuba. Then her gaze traveled to Mukuro, who was motionless upon the floor.

"It's finally ended…"

"Ended…" Yotsuba muttered as she stood up. She dragged her body toward Mukuro, despite Ken and Chikusa's death glares and Tsuna's worried voice. She just walked toward Mukuro step by step.

Yotsuba stared at Mukuro's sleeping face. Right now, his face had only calmness and serenity. She knelt down beside him and removed the hair that covered his face with her fingers. Using a voice inaudible to others, she whispered, "Sorry… I cannot become your tool…"

A crystal clear drop of tear fell upon Mukuro's face quietly.

Then… the Vindice entered.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Finally, the Kokuyou Arc is almost over! I admit that was a pretty short chapter. Everything will be peaceful and more casual starting now! And there will definitely be a lot of interaction between Yotsuba and Hibari, the winner of the poll! I know that it's gonna seem like a HibariXOC fic, but remember, it's a MukuroXOC story! Until the Varia Arc, please enjoy the lighthearted chapters that are to come, and thanks for the readers who have kept reading until now.

Please review! I love you all and your reviews encourage me so much!


	17. A New Page

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 17: A New Page**

Pink clouds and blue marshmallows. Warm snowflakes fall down from the sky. A herd of baby yetis run along the fields. _Ah_, was the only thing that Yotsuba could say, or have the strength to say. It seemed like a long time since she had a good sleep. Ever since the group defeated Mukuro, Yotsuba had been missing the first third of school hours just to catch up on sleeping, which is not so great for the "thing" that she's decided to commit to recently. But she could not help it. she needed to get back the sleep she'd missed out for so long.

Perhaps there was also something on her mind, or perhaps she had wanted to wait for _something_ to come into her dreams. But none of that is important anymore as she would fall right to sleep when she lay her head down. After all the painful things she had gone through, let's just say that the only thing that could irritate her now was –DING DONG—the door bell. With a low grunt, Yotsuba left the comfort of her bed for the door. Her usual early morning guest, Dino, was at the door.

"Could you pick a better time next time? Perhaps when the hour turns double digits?" Yotsuba growled, but with zero attack points.

Dino only smiled. "I haven't seen _you_ in a while, the sharp-tongued Princess Yotsuba."

Yotsuba stared at Dino's smile wordlessly for a moment, and then walked back into the living room. Taking the silence as an invitation, Dino entered the apartment. They sat at their usual places on the couch. Yotsuba placed two coffee mugs on the table. Steam from the coffee filled the silence in the room.

"It seems like… we haven't sat like this face to face for a long time…" said Yotsuba, finally, breaking the silence.

"Yeah…" agreed Dino gently, "but for some reason, it doesn't feel like how it used to be…"

Yotsuba nodded, and they fell into silence again. Dino chuckled lightly to himself. _Even a princess has to grow up…_

"Reborn told me about your new, um, commitment," began Dino, "it's hard to imagine… to have you work under someone's command willingly, that person must be something. I'd love to meet this guy one day."

"I'm not so sure," Yotsuba smirked. "He might be dangerous for you…"

-----FLASHBACK-----

"Homerun!"

"Takeshi-kun! How cool!"

"Yamamoto-kun is so good!" Tsuna said excitedly with the audience.

"Hmph! It's just Yamamoto! Oi! You guys on the other team! I'll bow you guys up if you don't play seriously!" Gokudera shouted at the opposing team.

The morning sun lit every corner of Namimori. A cloudless day like this was great for any sports game. Today, all the students of Namimori gathered at the baseball field. It was the day of the baseball tournament.

"Go…Gokudera-kun! Calm down!"

"Ohhh!! Extreme!! Don't play baseball anymore! Join the boxing club!"

The audience on the bleachers cheered loudly as Yamamoto hit a homerun. Yamamoto, hearing the cheers, waved in his friends' direction. His face was filled with joy; the injury on his arm had completely healed. However, even with all the excitement in the place, Yotsuba could not perk up. Her heart was still lingering on that day, that battle…

_Mukuro… why did you show me those things? Is it because… our pasts are the same…?_

But Yotsuba already had a feeling about what Mukuro wanted her to know. The events in Kokuyou were just a prelude. As long as Yotsuba stays in their world, things will just get more and more violent and painful.

"_The world of mafias isn't as wonderful as you think. Hatred, betrayal, violence, blood, everything is filled with sin. Not just the mafias, the world is the same."_

_But…_

"_Why don't we let everything become a beautiful, red sea?"_

Mukuro's tempting voice echoed in Yotsuba's head, but…

_But…_

Watching her friends go back to their usual, noisy lives, it seemed like the fight with Mukuro had never happened. But Yotsuba knew that even when returning to the peaceful days, something is slowly changing, for herself or for Tsuna. Something is different now. The past will never turn back around. The lost things will never return to your hands, either. It's time to say good-bye to the naïve self. The laughter and smiles of every persons were deeply inscribed into Yotsuba's eyes at this moment.

"Reborn-san…" As everyone else was busy with the game, Yotsuba made a decision. She muttered Reborn's name, and the latter turned his head toward her.

Reborn thought for a while, and said, "if it's your decision, then do as you think."

Reborn could see that after the battle days ago, Yotsuba's iron eyes had different colors. The previous childishness had disappeared, and replaced with her belief and determination. That kind of courage is something that Tsuna and the Vongola cannot lose. Earning the permission from Reborn, Yotsuba smiled appreciatively at Reborn and stood from her spot. As the wind caressed her long, black locks, she quietly walked away from the group.

"Mikami!" Reborn called out to her, and she stopped in her place without turning back. "Throughout the whole time that your father spied inside the Estraneo Family, he only performed a single operation."

Yotsuba did not reply for a while, nor turn to look at Reborn. But after a pause she said with a soft voice, "thank you, Reborn."

With that, she took off.

_Mukuro… You chose to accept the darkness of the world and chose the endless road of death. But… sorry, I cannot choose the same route. I want to believe in that small light of hope. I want to live in this ugly, but also beautiful, world… with them. _

Suddenly, a little boy bumped into Yotsuba's arm as he ran past her.

"Sorry!" the little boy said with a sweet voice.

"Mi-kun! Come over here!" his mother called out in the distance.

"It's all right," Yotsuba replied gently. "Go catch up to your mommy!"

"Right," the little boy said before taking his leave. "Again… someday…"

"Eh?" looking back towards the little, Yotsuba could not believe her ears. But when she looks at the little boy again, he was already far away with his mother. Shaking the bad feelings off her shoulders, she continued to her destination.

----------

Aside from all the noise and excitement in Nami Junior High, there was still a quiet place. The rooftop of the school stayed secluded, and only the sound of the wind could be heard. Yet from the wind came a high-pitched, off-key singing. A little yellow creature flapped its wings towards a black silhouette on the rooftop as it sings the school anthem. Being probably the only thing that is not scared of the demon-like boy, the yellow bird landed upon his head.

The sky was high and blue and white clouds carelessly floated in the air. It was the perfect day and Hibari did not want to ruin his mood by going near the baseball field. He yawned as he laid on his back, closing his eyes for a nap.

"Kyouya!!!!"

The door suddenly flew open. The yellow bird flew from its spot to the huge sound, and a strand of leaf fell from the wide open mouth of Kusakabe, who rushed over to the intruder immediately.

"What are you doing here?!" Kusakabe scolded in a hushed voice. "You should know not to disturb Iinchou when he's slee—"

"Nice weather today, eh, Kusakabe-san?" said Yotsuba cheerfully as she waltzed toward Hibari, who was still in his sleeping position.

Kusakabe was in shock again as the raven girl ignored him completely. He watched in panic as Yotsuba made her way to the disturbed beast. The said beast opened one of his eyes to glare at Yotsuba. His expression told her how much annoyance he's getting. Still, Yotsuba isn't the shy kind.

"Kyouya…" Yotsuba began, with a serious tone that could not compare to her previous behavior, "Please let me join the Disciplinary Committee!"

At this, Hibari opened both of his eyes to study Yotsuba, who bowed her head. The fearlessness in her voice sparked his interest. Yotsuba peeked into Hibari's dark eyes. Crystal lights sparkled in his beautiful eyes; Yotsuba's face heated up without her realization.

Hibari spoke roughly, "Why?"

"I want to become stronger."

The wind breezed by softly through the two of them. A few yellowed flower petals danced in the air as the wind carried them and through Yotsuba's jet black hair. Everything was beautiful, like a painting, in Hibari's eyes.

"……I see."

Letting out an inaudible sigh, Hibari turned away to go back to his sleep again. Seeing as Hibari did not give her an answer, Yotsuba began to speak again. But before she could get anything out, she was interrupted.

"If you disturb my sleep again, I'm going to bite you to death," said Hibari dangerously.

Hearing that, Yotsuba was stuck. She looked to Kusakabe for help, but found Kusakabe with an unusual gentle smile on his face. Kusakabe motioned for her to go into the door quietly and Yotsuba followed him. Cupping his hand, Kusakabe whispered, "If Iinchou didn't refuse, then that means you're in! Come find me in the Reception Room tomorrow, and I'll give you some work to do."

A bright smile spread across Yotsuba's face. Bowing to Kusakabe quickly, she shouted out the door.

"THANKS, KYOUYA!!!"

Once again, Kusakabe was put to shock. He hurriedly chased Yotsuba back down stairs before his violent superior decides to kill them both. Meanwhile, he ponders on how busy his life will become with this crazy addition to the committee.

"Hmph."

As Yotsuba's voice faded in the background, Hibari let out a short chuckle.

Today's sky… is so blue.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: So marks the end of the Kokuyou Arc! This chapter serves as a kind of epilogue and prologue at the same time. We won't be seeing Mukuro for a while now, but there will definitely be a lot of HibariXYotsuba action! Please continue to read this story as all kinds of outrageous things occur with Yotsuba as the new member of the Disciplinary Committee! And also, don't forget to review!


	18. Wait For Me

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 18: Wait For Me**

-----YOTSUBA POV-----

_Wait for me, please…_

_In grade school, I never needed classes like physical education or any kind of physical training. Not just because of Nii-san's personal trainings, but also because of one dreadful reason – my short legs. They say that girls grow faster than boys in their younger years, but that was never the case for me and Nii-san. No matter how much milk I drank or how much I grew, Nii-san was always a head taller than me. When I look down at my legs, I notice that my torso was longer than other girls, which makes it even harder for me to catch up to Nii-san when we go to school._

"_Wait, Nii-chan!" I would always say. _

_Nii-san would look back with an annoyed expression, but he'd always come back for me. _

"_Midget." _

"_Nii-chan! That's mean!"_

_Carry me, please…_

"_Nii-chan, Nii-chan! I sprained my ankle!"_

"…_Useless girl…"_

_Then, he would lift me up with just one of his strong arms. Sitting on his back, it was a very safe and comfortable position to me. I was unconscious at that time, but it must've been the way that he carried me back home on the day that we'd met – that blessed day that I'd met him…_

_­_-----NORMAL POV-----

"Mikami! Oi, wake up! Mikami!"

The rough and powerful voice of Kusakabe pounded on Yotsuba's brain as she started to slowly gain consciousness. She blinked many times for her eyes to adjust to the morning lights. The first thing she saw was Kusakabe's frowning face, and the next was her surroundings – the emergency staircase at the back of Nami Junior High. Next to her were rolls of posters.

Kusakabe sighed as Yotsuba sat up from her previous position. "I was wondering where you went! It's the Athletes Festival season and everyone from the committee is working their butts off, and you're here sleeping?"

"Ah, my bad. You remember my little sleeping problem, right?" Yotsuba smiled sheepishly. "Kyouya isn't here, is he?"

"That's Iinchou for you," Kusakabe sighed again. "And put on the Disciplinary Committee arm band, will you? It's only good for you, and good for me."

"They're not very fashionable," Yotsuba pouted. "What time is it?"

Kusakabe sighed for the third time. "It's eight. You might as well go back to class for now. Come back to the Reception Room after school."

"Okay. Don't say anything to Kyouya!" Yotsuba said as she stood up and walked away.

Kusakabe stared at her retrieving back. Her footsteps were wobbly and it seemed like she could fall asleep anytime again. Sometimes he really wonder why Hibari decided to let Yotsuba join the committee. Right now, he can only see her as trouble for him _and_ for the committee.

-----------

As Yotsuba returns to the classroom, the people inside were already in a ruckus. She hobbled across the room to stand in front of a very distressed Tsuna. Meanwhile, Gokudera and Yamamoto looked excited and proud.

"What's going on?" Yotsuba asked.

"Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna exclaimed with teary eyes. "Please, talk some sense into them! I definitely cannot be the leader for the Pole Knocking event!"

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. "What's the Pole Knocking event?"

"You idiot! Aren't you supposed to know what it is since the Disciplinary Committee is in charge of setting up the Athletes Festival?" Gokudera said, emphasizing his displeasure as he said the words "Disciplinary Committee". Gokudera has never liked the members of the Disciplinary Committee, especially their very leader, Hibari Kyouya. Therefore, when Yotsuba announced that she has joined the committee, Gokudera was outrageous.

"Hayato-kun, are you still bitter than I have the ability to join the Disciplinary Committee and not you?"

Gokudera fumed. "What are you talking about?! I don't give a rat's ass where you go! Especially when it's that… stupid committee!"

"Maa, that's nothing to fight over about!" Yamamoto stepped in between the two hotheaded friends. "Yotsuba-chan, the Pole Knocking event is a very, very fun event, you know!"

"NO, IT'S NOT!!" Tsuna shouted. "It's very possible that I'm going to be KILLED!"

"You'll never know until you try!" said Reborn, who appeared out of nowhere.

"Don't worry, boss, I'll protect you when you come close to death." Yotsuba said with a bright smile. But that smile formed a dark cloud above Tsuna's head.

"You guys just say that because you don't know how dangerous Pole Knocking is!" Tsuna exclaimed. "There is no extent to what people do at that event! That's why it's usually the strongest person being the team leader!"

"Oh," Yotsuba blinked. "In that case, maybe you shouldn't be the leader…"

Tsuna smiled with tears. "Finally, you understood! Thank yo—"

"STUPID WOMAN!! Are you trying to say that Juudaime is not the strongest person here?!"

"No, no! Gokudera-kun! I really don't mind!!"

By the end of the day, Yotsuba still didn't find out what Pole Knocking is.

----------

It was the day of the Athletes Festival. Yotsuba, surprisingly, came to school early today to set up the event with the other Disciplinary Committee members. It might be because of the threats from Hibari the day before, but who knows? After quickly leaving a note of encouragement on Tsuna's desk, Yotsuba took off towards the fields. All the other members of the committee were already working hard in the fields. Some were putting up signs and posters, and some were setting up equipments. Yotsuba had no idea what to do, but she decided to go find Kusakabe before Hibari catches her doing nothing. Just as she took a step, someone grabbed her arm from behind. She turned around to find the one person she did not want to see, Hibari Kyouya.

"Ah." Yotsuba smiled guiltily.

Without saying anything, not even hitting Yotsuba with his tonfa, Hibari dragged her away from the other committee members.

"Where… where are we going?" Yotsuba asked.

"You're patrolling with me today."

"Eh??" Yotsuba frowned. "Isn't that Kusakabe-san's job?"

Hibari looked back at her with his sharp eyes, making Yotsuba topple over her own feet. The glare that the whole student body is afraid of somehow made Yotsuba blush lightly. Staring at Yotsuba's reaction, Hibari raised an eyebrow in amusement, somewhat pleased with the unusual blushing face. Without much thought, Hibari turned his back to her and took off again.

"Wa… wait!" Yotsuba shouted, but Hibari did not stop walking. "Kyouya, wait!"

Not stopping or checking back on her, Hibari just kept walking at his own pace. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Yotsuba slowly got up from the ground and caught up to Hibari with small running steps.

----------

The Athletes Festival has finally started and the atmosphere at Nami Junior High is hotter than ever. The three teams gave out their best at every category. Yotsuba was quite impressed with all the energy that the students were giving off. In spite of her sleepiness at the moment, Yotsuba secretly longed to participate in the festival with Tsuna and the others. However, she frowned at the committee chairman in front of her, her job did not allow her to leave his sight.

But as obvious as it was, Yotsuba was definitely not paying attention to her job of patrolling. She was too into all the games that the festival was holding. Her adrenaline went rocket high just as the other students as Yamamoto won against even the track team at the relay race.

"Ne, Kyouya, don't you ever want to join them?" Yotsuba asked, turning her gaze back to her chairman, who was not in sight anymore. "Kyouya?"

"BACK OFF!!!" two angry voices shouted from somewhere not far away, catching Yotsuba's attention.

"Hey, over there!"

"It's the leader of team C!"

"These people from team A attacked him!"

"Guys! I heard that the leader of team B got attacked by someone from team A in the bathroom!"

"What?!"

Yotsuba hurried over to the commotion. Passing through a sea of people, she finds Tsuna, Gokudera, and Sasagawa in the middle of the crowd. Both of the student bodies of team B and team C were glaring daggers at Tsuna.

"You cheap bastards!!"

"Get him!!"

A swarm of people charged toward Tsuna, who was clearly panicking. Out of instinct, Yotsuba darted out from the crowd and stepped in front of Tsuna.

"Stop right there! No group fights during the Athletes Festival!" she shouted.

"Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna said with tears of thankfulness.

"Woman! You finally decided to show up!" Gokudera growled, earning a glare from Yotsuba.

The angry students stopped in there place and became quiet. Well, not exactly quiet. Many of them were murmuring amongst themselves.

"It's her!"

"Mikami Yotsuba, the new Disciplinary Committee member."

"Hibari Kyouya's woman."

Yotsuba's jaws dropped. _Kyouya's woman?! What kind of name did I earn from this stupid committee?!_ Not only Yotsuba, Tsuna and Gokudera's faces also went paper white.

"Yotsuba-chan… what kind of things do you do with Hibari-san?"

"I patrol with him… and sleep in the Reception Room."

"Hmph, stupid woman, you probably don't even know what other people do to you when you're asleep."

"Hayato-kun, are you jealous?"

"Woman, I'm gonna…………"

----------

After a long discussion amongst the student body association, they finally came to a decision. Since the two leaders of team B and C were not in condition to participate in the pole knocking, and the one to blame is, apparently, Tsuna, they came to an agreement that team B and C would combine against team A. Team A was hysterical, while team B and C were cheering for the decision.

As the announcer cued all the male students to get ready for the Pole Knocking event, Tsuna shed tears of despair. "No way! I'm not going to be alive after this!"

"Don't panic, Tsuna!" Yotsuba said casually. "How about I switch with you when you can't handle it anymore?"

"Really?!" Tsuna smiled, but the smile quickly faded. "Are you sure? You don't look the most awake right now."

"Don't worry about it."

"Pfft. Stupid woman, Juudaime is gonna take care of all those dumb asses by himself. You can just go to sleep or go find your stupid chairman!"

Yotsuba squinted her eyes and stared at the sky. "Speaking of Kyouya… I haven't seen him since I met up with you guys."

"Hibari-san!!"

"It's Hibari-san!!"

"Gah!"

All three of them turned their heads toward all the noise. To their surprise, especially Tsuna's, Hibari was at the top of the pole that belonged to team B and C. It seems like Hibari had decided to become the leader of team B and C. With this, Tsuna panicked even more.

Yotsuba looked up at Hibari disbelievingly. _So that's what he's been planning to do?_ She watched as Hibari's uniform jacket dance behind him with the wind, his eagle eyes staring at Tsuna menacingly.

Hibari smirked as he watched Tsuna struggle against the students of team B and C. Only five minutes into the game, Tsuna was already nose-bleeding and had several wounds on his body. But just as Tsuna was going to fall, something seemed to hit him in the head, and his clothes exploded. It was a signal that "extreme" Tsuna has been born. With a roar, Tsuna jumped on a human carriage made by Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Sasagawa. The four of them crashed through the barrier of team B and C easily.

However, just as they almost reached Hibari, Gokudera and Sasagawa got into a fight. Although Yamamoto tried to calm them down, the two hot-headed boys punched each other hard in the jaws. The four of them lost balance, and Tsuna fell to the ground. In the end, Tsuna still lost at the Pole Knocking contest, and the entire student body seemed to hate him.

-----------

"………"

Yotsuba looked nervously at Hibari from the corner of her eyes. The Athletes Festival was finally over, and due the chaos that team A had created, cleaning up had taken an extra long time. And because Yotsuba hadn't been doing her duties during the festival, she was made to work overtime. She was now standing besides Hibari, who was staring at the sky on the rooftop with a very scary expression.

"Kyouya…" Yotsuba smiled dryly. "That was SOME Althetes Festival today, wasn't it?"

Hibari did not reply.

Yotsuba gulped. "Don't tell me that you're disappointed because you didn't get to fight with Tsuna…"

Hibari glared at Yotsuba, who shut up right after. A couple of minutes went by and Hibari finally stood from his lying position. He faced Yotsuba, who stared back confusedly.

"Then…" he said as he readied his tonfa's, "why don't you satisfy me?"

"Eh??" Before Yotsuba could reply, Hibari already started to charge toward her. "Wait!!"

Yotsuba barely diverted Hibari's attack with Aikidou when Hibari stroke again. Yotsuba diverted a few more attacks, but her fatigue was overwhelming her. However, Hibari's moves were merciless.

"Don't just run away," he muttered, "Attack!"

"Wait! I can't!" Yotsuba barely got to say before she was sent flying by Hibari's tonfa.

Hibari stared down at Yotsuba, who was grabbing onto her ankle with a painful expression. Although there was no look of concern on Hibari's face, the scariness from a while ago was definitely gone. Without saying any caring words, Hibari walked past Yotsuba, ready to go back downstairs.

"Wait, Kyouya!" Yotsuba groaned. "I… I sprained my ankle!"

Hibari looked back with unconcerned eyes. "You have another leg. Hop if you have to."

Yotsuba gawked at him. "You… you jerk!"

Hibari already started to walk away. "You said you wanted to be stronger."

With widened eyes, Yotsuba couldn't say anything back. Watching Hibari's retrieving back, Yotsuba chuckled under her breath.

"How pathetic…" she said to herself. "I guess I have to catch up to him on my own…"

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Oh my, so sorry for the late update! I thought it's going to be easier writing this story since the battle parts are over, but it really isn't. Anyway, more romantic actions coming up! I know Hibari may seem a bit heartless in this chapter, but I think Hibari wouldn't be a gentleman so easily anyway. I think it's his way of pushing Yotsuba onwards. Anypoo, I appreciate the people who patiently read all of my chapters! And please review!


	19. Sleepless Nights

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 19: Sleepless Nights**

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_This place again…_

Yotsuba thought to herself as she awakes in her dream. The scene in front of her was a dark forest; she could barely make out her fingers when she puts her hands in front of her eyes. Recently, Yotsuba has been seeing this place in her dream almost every night when she sleeps. The first time that she had this dream, she didn't know what to do. But now that this place is familiar, Yotsuba started to walk deeper into the forest.

_What is this familiar feeling?_

Yotsuba walked restlessly, even though she is in her sleep. This dream was bothering her so much that she couldn't get any rest even as she sleeps.

_Wait! _Yotsuba almost stumbles as she recognized a ray of light in front of her. Eager to find out more, she darted toward the light's direction. After what seemed like an hour, Yotsuba arrived at a clearing. She was shocked; she could not believe what she was seeing: the clover field. She had seen the clover field before.

"Mukuro?" Yotsuba murmured. She looks up suddenly and jerked her body around and around, looking for the said person. However, it was useless. Furrowing up her eyebrows, Yotsuba chose to walk deeper into the clover field. She quickly finds something new in the middle of the clover field.

A lotus flower, floating there solitarily.

With her mouth slightly opened, Yotsuba seemed to realize something when she saw the lotus. Her brows furrowed even more, and there was a look of confusion on her face.

"Mukuro…" she murmured again, "…what have they done to you?"

The lotus flower glowed.

----------

"Yocchan, are you all right?" Dino asked carefully, sitting across from the girl at a local café. Yotsuba clearly doesn't seem too happy, with her dark circles under her eyes and puckered lips.

Yotsuba glared at Dino with one eye. "I'm okay. Why did you take me out so early in the morning?"

"It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon," Dino sighed. "Anyway, I'm taking Tsuna to the mountains for a training. I was going to ask you to come along, but seeing that you're quite tired right now, you probably should stay home and rest."

"I see," Yotsuba said. "I'd actually love to tag along, but I'm preoccupied today."

"What's going on?"

"I gotta go visit someone at the hospital today. My leader at the Disciplinary Committee, to be exact, I heard that he's got a little cold."

"That guy?" Dino's expression suddenly turned serious. "Don't tell me that he's been working you so hard that you can't handle it?"

"No!" Yotsuba exclaimed, "It has nothing to do with him! I just happen to sleep late recently, that's all!"

Dino frowned, but he could not retaliate. Half believing what Yotsuba said, Dino paid for both of their coffees and got ready to leave. They part ways in front of Yotsuba's apartment building.

_After all these years, I still can't help worrying about her. _Dino thought as he watched Yotsuba disappear behind her apartment door.

----------

After another few minutes of trying to take a nap and failing, Yotsuba decided to give up. Putting on some casual clothes and grabbing some money, Yotsuba headed out the door. She thought about getting some flowers for Hibari when she goes to visit. Even though Hibari isn't the gentlest man in the world, Yotsuba still felt quite thankful since he fought with her everyday after school. In her mind, Yotsuba liked to think that Hibari was trying to train her, even if he wasn't.

It didn't take long for Yotsuba to arrive at the florist. The owner greeted her warmly, and Yotsuba's mood was soon lifted at the sight of all the pretty flowers. She smiled softly as she walked around the room to choose the flowers. However, she stops abruptly in front of the small tubs lotus flowers, as she remembers her dream earlier today. She still could not figure out why she was getting all those dreams, but she was sure that Mukuro was behind all of them. She had no idea why, though.

"Ah!" Yotsuba gasped softly as a lotus bud suddenly bloomed. Yotsuba was enticed with the beauty of the flower, until a loud screeching sound from the outside got her attention.

She, along with many other people nearby, ran to where the big sound came from. When she got there, there was already a crowd of people surrounding the spot, and many ambulance cars also came. Yotsuba tiptoed to see what happened. It seemed like there had been a traffic accident, and for a split second, Yotsuba could see that the victim had been a young girl.

Feeling horrible after seeing the accident, Yotsuba quickly went back to the flower shop and left right after getting some tulips.

----------

As Yotsuba arrived at the hospital, her heart was still lingering on the strange lotus flower. However, her attention was soon diverted as she heard a loud voice.

"No way! Why is Hibari-san in the hospital?!"

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. Thinking that the voice was familiar, she rushed into Hibari's room.

"Tsuna?" Yotsuba exclaimed when she opened the door and saw a very wary Tsuna. ("Yotsuba-chan?" Tsuna also exclaimed.) Her eyes scanned the floor, which had several other patients beaten up lying around. Instantly, she understood the wary face Tsuna was putting on. "Kyouya, the hospital is for people to get better, not worse."

Hibari looked indifferent. "I was trying to get rid of my boredom, but they were too weak."

"Wh…what?" Tsuna stuttered.

"The game is easy," Hibari smirked. "If anyone makes a sound while I sleep, I'll bite them to death!"

"HOW ONESIDED!" Tsuna exclaimed, looking hysterical. "Um, I'm already feeling better now! I don't need to be hospitalized!"

"Hm?" Yotsuba looked at Tsuna curiously. "That reminds me. Why are you here anyway?"

Tsuna was on the verge of tears. "It's a long story. Dino-san was trying to train me today with his old whip, but a little accident happened with Enzio…"

"Oh! Maybe you should stay in the hospital, after all…"

The two of them talked on; neither of them noticed the changing expression on Hibari's face. A little frown climbed between Hibari's eyebrows as he watched the two of them talk. With a dangerously low voice, Hibari warned, "Shut up."

Tsuna and Yotsuba stopped talking instantly, turning their heads toward Hibari carefully. Hibari glared at them with cold eyes before lying down onto his bed.

"Well, I'll be taking a nap," Hibari said with a yawn. "By the way, even the sound of a falling leaf will wake me up."

"Wha--!?" Tsuna yelped. Looking around to find help, but he couldn't find any doctors or nurses in sight.

_Yotsuba-chan! What are we going to do?!_ Tsuna thought as he turned to look at Yotsuba for help. He panicked even more as he found the girl asleep on the chair next to Hibari's bed. _That's how you're gonna play the game?!_

As soon as the game started, Lambo and I-Pin also came into the room. No matter how hard Tsuna tried to stop their explosions, Hibari still worke up. In the end, Tsuna got even more injured than before and was moved to the room where the hospital keeps their inexplicable organs.

----------

"Hm……AHHHH!!!!" Yotsuba screamed at the first thing she saw when she awoke from her sleep: an enlarged face of Hibari Kyouya.

Raising an eyebrow at the girl's exaggerated reaction, Kyouya leaned back from her face and sat back down on his bed. "I couldn't hear you breathing, so I thought you were dead."

"Well, if I breathed any louder, you might bite me to death," Yotsuba said tiredly. "Kyouya, are you sure you have a cold? You seem fine to me."

"…………" Hibari stared at Yotsuba's tired and sleepless face for a while. As a devious thought came into his head, he relaxed his shoulders. "Button up my shirt. I don't have the energy."

"Ha??" Yotsuba was astonished. Clearly, she could not believe what he said, but what place is she in to disobey his order? Letting out a sigh, Yotsuba stood from her chair and approached him by the bed.

_Oh, but he does have a good body…NO! What am I thinking?!_ Yotsuba shook her head as she worked on Hibari's buttons. Not knowing why, her cheeks were getting a bit rosy. And she wasn't sure if Hibari was getting a bit closer and closer to her, because it seemed like they were that close to begin with. As Yotsuba's heartbeat got louder, Hibari smirked at the sound and let out a little chuckle.

The metallic dark voice and breath brushed right past Yotsuba's ear.

"Ah!" Yotsuba gasped with a deep red color on her cheeks. Just as she tried to back away, Hibari got her right arm. With a swift push and pull, Yotsuba was on the bed where Hibari was, and Hibari was standing next to the bed. "What??"

"Sleep right there." Hibari said with a commanding tone.

Yotsuba was confused.

"Those dark circles make you really ugly." Hibari spitted out before he left the hospital room, healthy and energetic, leaving Yotsuba gawking once again.

Even after Hibari closed the door, Yotsuba still could not tear her eyes away. A few minutes passed, and the redness on her face died down a bit. Pushing her head hard against the fluffy pillow, all thoughts disappeared in the air.

She softly murmured, "Thanks."

There was no dream. Only a peaceful sleep.

----------

TBC.

---------

A/N: Whoa, that was an incredibly fast update! Well, summer break has started and I'm going to have more time to write now. Another thing, THANK YOU REVIEWERS!!! I've passed 100 reviews! I'm so happy, and I'm going to work harder on this story so I won't disappoint you guys! And I've done a little calculation yesterday, and I figured that I'm going to have about 10 more chapters until the start of the Varia Arc, mostly consisting of the filler chapters that I never got to write in the beginning. I'll use these 10 chapters to develop the relationship between Yotsuba and our two main male roles!

Anyway, too much blabbering. Please review!


	20. To Heart

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 20: To Heart**

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Four tide up limbs, a mouth silenced by a mask, a vision blurred by water—Yotsuba was suffocating. She could hardly move with the electric tubes and plugs surrounding her. The only movement she could see was the bubbles traveling upwards in the water that contained her. The people outside glass wall—far or near, she could not tell—were blurred silhouettes, staring at her with cold eyes.

_Why? Why?_ Yotsuba felt like crying with all the despair and pain in the atmosphere. The glass wall reflected her own image, and it was a nightmare in her eyes.

Suddenly, her reflection started to change gradually. She widened her eyes at the reflection of the man that stared back at her.

_Mukuro…_

The man smiled at her, so sadly. She frowned.

_My little clover, why do you look at me like that? _The reflection mouthed the words.

She'd wanted to shout to him. She'd wanted to run to him. But…

----------

_Tick, tock, tick, tock. _Yotsuba's body shot up from her bed. _Tick, tock, tick, tock. _Cold sweat ran down from her forehead to her chin. _Tick, tock, tick, tock. _The vivid dream she had still replaying in her head. _Tick, tock, tick, tock._ She jerked her head around furiously, finding everything in her room peacefully settling where they were. _Tick, tock, tick, tock. _Everything was quiet; except for the monotonous ticking of the clock that drove her crazy, like the silence in the water. _Tick, tock, tick, tock. _Even the cries from Kabi were blocked out from her ears.

Grabbing her hair with both hands, Yotsuba screamed at the top of her lungs.

_Is that where you are, Mukuro? Is that what they've done to you?_

Yotsuba panted, wanting to get out, but couldn't move her feet.

"Yotsuba-chan!!"

"Yotsuba-chan, are you all right??"

Two worried voices traveled to Yotsuba's ears from outside of her apartment, followed by a series of knocking. Snapping out of her trance, Yotsuba stood from her bed and stumbled toward the door. She opened the door and found two very worried faces staring at her.

"Kyoko-chan? Haru-chan?"

"Yotsuba-chan, what happened?" Kyoko asked with concern.

"We heard screaming!" Haru also said in addition.

Yotsuba's racing heart seemed to calm down after seeing the girls. Their innocent, sincere voices soothed the pain in her ears a while ago. "I'm fine. I just saw a cockroach, that's all."

The two girls looked at each other and at Yotsuba, and then they both started giggling.

"Yotsuba-chan, you really had us worried!"

"Yeah! Yotsuba-chan, you are so cute!"

Yotsuba smiled as she studied the girls' outfits. They were wearing extravagant kimonos. "What are you guys so dressed up for?"

"Yotsuba-chan, you don't know?" Kyoko said. "It's the New Years!"

Haru nodded in agreement. "And we're heading off to Tsuna-san's house soon. Do you want to come with us?"

"Ah, New Years!" Yotsuba said in realization. "I'd love to go with you guys, but I have to stay with the Disciplinary Committee instead. I heard that usually it's Kusakabe-san that accompanies Kyouya on New Years, so I volunteered to replace him so he could take a day off for once."

"Eh? That's so nice of you, Yotsuba-chan!" Kyoko smiled brightly.

Haru frowned. "Yotsuba-chan, why did you join the Disciplinary Committee? I barely get to see you now!"

Yotsuba was taken back a little, but smiled nonetheless. "I want to become stronger, so I can protect everyone, help everyone, and…"

_Mukuro…_

"Well, Yotsuba-chan should still wear a kimono, at least! You know, to enjoy the New Years spirit!" Haru said, calling back Yotsuba's attention.

"Kimono?" Yotsuba repeated. "I… I don't have one!"

"We figured that you don't have one since you lived in Italy most of your life, so we brought one along with us!" Kyoko said, eager to put the kimono on Yotsuba.

"Oh… oh, I…" Yotsuba was a little speechless. "It's… so nice of you two…"

The three girls entered Yotsuba's apartment with much excitement. At that moment Yotsuba was very thankful for Kyoko and Haru. The life back in Italy didn't allow her to be around girly things so much. And for once, she'd like to be an ordinary girl.

----------

In the early morning, the people whom Yotsuba had passed by on the street all turned their heads back to look at her a second time. She was put into a deep red colored kimono, with detailed linings and several neat accessories. The red color went really well with her black hair and black eyes. But the reason why people were staring at her wasn't because of her appearance, but because of her clumsy steps.

"Damn these Japanese slippers," Yotsuba muttered under her breath. Even her cheeks were turned into the same color as her kimono, as she felt the stares of the townspeople. With the speed of a turtle, Yotsuba finally arrived at the Hibari estate.

Yotsuba took in the sight in front of her in awe. She'd expected that Hibari's habitat would be something extravagant, but this mansion-like estate was totally out of her expectations. She felt a little embarrassed as she compared her own apartment to Hibari's home. But what really surprised Yotsuba were all the Disciplinary Committee members standing guard in front of the gate.

_These people sure are loyal…_ Yotsuba thought. The stern-faced teens saw the arrival of Yotsuba, and let her in without a word.

Yotsuba was left to walk into the estate all by herself. Looking around at the huge place, she had already forgotten where she came in from and where she was supposed to go. Getting a bit jittery, Yotsuba rocked back and forth, until a familiar creature flew over and settled on her shoulder.

"Hibari! Hibari!" The little yellow bird chirped.

"Oh, Hibird!" Yotsuba gasped. "I'm so glad you're here! Can you take me to Kyouya?"

Hibird detached itself from Yotsuba's shoulder and flew a little to the left, waiting for Yotsuba to catch up. "Hibari! Here! Here!"

Forming a smile, Yotsuba followed the yellow bird. The two of them arrived in front of a paper door near very center of the estate. Getting nervous for no reason, Yotsuba bowed. "Kyouya."

With just one call, the paper door was slid open. Yotsuba was surprised to see Hibari out of his uniform. He looked a lot more mature in his robe, and a strange kind of beauty emitting from him. Hibari, too, stared at Yotsuba up and down, making the girl blush. Neither of them said anything for a while, and the only sound was the flapping of Hibird's wings.

"Hibari! Hibari! Yotsuba! Likes--…"

With a swift of a movement, Hibari stroke the poor little bird with his tonfa mercilessly. Yotsuba's eyes shot wide open at this sight. _He…he just bit Hibird!!!_ She gawked at Hibari incredulously. The boy, however, turned away in an instant so that she couldn't see his face.

"Kyouya… I thought that you liked little animals…"

Hibari did not reply.

"I mean, Hibird seems to like you a lot!" Yotsuba added quickly to fill the awkward silence. "Because… because Kyouya is a gentle person."

"Gentle?" Hibari repeated, finally looking at Yotsuba.

"Well, little animals… I guess they can understand Kyouya's gentleness more than humans," Yotsuba said softly, losing her contemplation bit by bit.

After staring at Yotsuba for a while, Hibari said, "Then, you must be a little animal, aren't you?"

"Ha??" Yotsuba was suddenly speechless. She was not used to Hibari's strange comments that were getting quite frequent lately. But it seems like Hibari was in a mood good today, judging by his look at Yotsuba's reaction.

Trying to change the subject, Yotsuba quickly said, "Ah, I heard that there's a good place for tea around here! Let's get outside and not ruin the New Years atmosphere, yeah?"

----------

Even though the tea in her hands smelt great, and the desserts all tasted great, Yotsuba just couldn't fully enjoy them right now. She didn't know since when she'd started to lose her cool in front of Hibari Kyouya. Even though she knew that he was probably the strongest man around Tsuna right now, but she used to be a lot sharper in front of him. Her reactions now toward him are different now.

Recently, Hibari has been randomly saying things that Yotsuba doesn't particularly understand. His words, his tones, his gestures, and his expressions all made her a bit nervous and unable to respond. Yotsuba feels quite foreign to this new kind of self, but Hibari seems to enjoy it.

She couldn't understand why she was having these kinds of feelings. Facing Hibari's "playing around", she felt nervous and unfamiliar, but she doesn't hate it. She just couldn't understand.

After their little afternoon tea, Yotsuba and Hibari decided to take a walk in the park. In this cold season, the maple trees in the park have changed into bright red skins. With the crunching sounds of fallen maple leaves made by people's footsteps, the scene in front of them seemed even more poetic.

"Pretty…" Yotsuba commented to no one in particular.

The spirit in the park was very uplifting. Even the wind liked to join the afternoon strode with them. In an instant, maple leaves filled the air, and the air was colored into red.

"This is just like… a rain of blood…"

Watching the leaves fall down like the rain, Yotsuba said unconsciously as she raised her hand as if to catch something. Then she realized that another hand also reached up besides her, reaching up to an even higher place than hers. The long fingers locked a piece of maple leaf falling down.

It was Hibari's hand. After catching that leaf, he moved his hand softly in front of Yotsuba's face. Slowly lowering her arm, Yotsuba took the leaf from Hbari's grasp. She stared silently at the dried, red leaf on her palm. It was as if her palm was soaked with blood.

_Rain of blood…_ Hibari pondered, _then, are you drenched in blood right now?_

The two of them walked along in the park like nothing had happened. However, there was a storm in Yotsuba's heart.

----------

Time passed by really quickly. After the walk in the park, the two of them also went around the city (it was almost like patrolling again), and visited the shrine. Fortunately for Yotsuba, it wasn't really crowded anywhere in Namimori today, so that Hibari didn't have much chance to bite people to death.

On the way back to the Hibari estate, the sky was already getting dark and it was about dinner time. As they neared the estate, they bumped into Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto, who were on their way home.

"Ah, Yotsuba-chan, are you…" Tsuna had wanted to greet Yotsuba, but upon seeing Hibari's scary face, Tsuna swallowed back his words.

"Yotsuba-chan, you're done? Must be tired!" Yamamoto said cheerfully, completely ignoring the darkened face that Hibari put on when he saw them.

"Hey, guys! Where are you all going?" Yotsuba asked, also not noticing Hibari's mood change.

"We're about to go to Tsuna's house to eat dinner. Wanna come?" Yamamoto replied. But when Yotsuba was going to answer, Hibari cut her off.

"Your job is not done."

"Eh?" Hearing Hibari's sudden words, Yotsuba was a little shocked.

"I said, your job is to accompany me the whole day, and the day is not over." Hibari said as if it was the most natural thing. "So then, let's go."

Grabbing Yotsuba, who hasn't the slightest clue what just happened, Hibari dragged her away from Tsuna and others. Tsuna and Yamamoto, who watched Yotsuba as she was dragged away, looked at each other with confused faces.

"Did Hibari-san just do that on purpose?"

"Who knows…?"

At last, they only started walking toward Tsuna's house again after scratching the back of their heads. But as they left, Gokudera looked back at the spot where Hibari and Yotsuba stood. For an instant, his expression became very complicated.

………just for an instant.

----------

TBC.

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A/N: All right, just 6 more fillers to go! Just to let you know, even though these chapters are fillers they have some significant parts to them also! There was something very important about Yotsuba's kimono in this chapter and their walk together, but I don't want to explain it here in case I ruin it. Oh, and FYI these fillers are totally out of chronological order, but please excuse that!

Another thing is that even though I think I'm going at this story with a good pace, I think I'm going to have a lot of trouble later on. Because even though I've planned everything for the Varia Arc, I haven't the slightest idea how to write the Future Arc so that everything will make sense… and the pace of the manga is not helping. Well, I'll just hope that by the time I get there, I'll get it together.

Okay, this A/N is getting too long. It wouldn't take long until the next update, so please review and stay tuned!


	21. Stop Joking Around

**In There Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 21: Stop Joking Around**

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The cold season is finally over, and the air is becoming warmer and warmer each day. However, not the air surrounding Gokudera Hayato. Gokudera walked down the streets of Namimori with heavy steps, and his eyes seemed to freeze everyone in sight. Gokudera has been having this kind of bad mood for a while now. Ever since Yotsuba declared that she joined the Disciplinary Committee, he has been against her. Although Tsuna and Yamamoto don't say anything, he was sure that they were against it, too.

With excuses of Disciplinary Committee duties, Tsuna and the others almost never see Yotsuba around anymore. It bothered Gokudera a great deal. He'd rather have her dying in a hospital bed than have her follow that bastard Hibari around.

_Che… those morons…_ Gokudera said to himself as he noticed a group of thugs following him. Suddenly, he takes a sharp turn into a dark alley. The thugs quickly followed behind, but as they turned into the alley, Gokudera was already waiting there for them. With just a few hits, he beat up those thugs and grabbed one of them by the hair. Stuffing dynamite into the man's mouth roughly, Gokudera threatened to light it.

"You guys sure picked the right day to follow me!" Gokudera said sarcastically. "Who are you?! Who ordered you to follow me?!"

The man was so scared that he couldn't speak, and tears were welling up his eyes. Fortunately, the man behind all of this showed up in time.

"It was me," a calm voice said as Gokudera's lighted dynamite was stricken away. Gokudera looked to the voice, surprised to find Dino standing there with a cheeky smile.

"What are you doing here, Bucking Horse?" Gokudera grunted.

"You did well," Dino complimented, "I think you're suited for the job!"

----------

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Yotsuba yelped, "Can you be any gentler, Shamal?"

"No!" Shamal said, "You're a cute girl and all, but if you keep coming in here everyday with these wounds, it gets quite annoying!"

Recently, Yotsuba has been spending most of her morning in the infirmary. Everyday a new wound, even Shamal is getting tired of them. _This girl does not know her limits_, Shamal thought as he tossed aside the used Q-tip. Patting down some bandages, the treating was finally done, and Yotsuba hopped on the bed.

"Well, I'll just take a little nap here!"

"Get out!!"

"Geez," Yotsuba frowned, but stood up to leave anyway. "Fine, I'll just sleep in the classroom, then. You're loss!"

Reluctantly, Yotsuba left the infirmary. Yotsuba has been sleeping a lot more than she needed lately. No one knew why, but she knew, deep in her heart, that she only wanted to see one person in her dreams—Mukuro. Ever since she found him in the water jail, she became more and more worried, and she felt sorry for him. And the way he looked at her made her heart wrench. However, ever since that time, she never dreamt of the water jail again. Although she could not see him, she had a feeling that he was not suffering so much anymore, but she'd like to see him again nonetheless.

With light steps Yotsuba moved her way toward 2-A. She raised her eyebrow as she saw Gokudera crouching in front of the fire extinguisher box with an excited expression.

"That suits me just fine!!" Gokudera exclaimed into the box.

Yotsuba walked closer to the boy, "Who are you talking to?"

"WAHH!!" Gokudera was taken back, but his face darkened quickly when his eyes met Yotsuba's. Standing up quickly, he walked off without a word.

"What's wrong with him?" Yotsuba murmured, staring at Gokudera's hurrying back.

"Who knows?" Reborn said from inside the fire extinguisher box, making Yotsuba jump in surprise.

"Reborn-san!" Yotsuba exclaimed. "I didn't know… you, um, reside in there…"

Ignoring Yotsuba's comment, Reborn said, "Why don't you come to Tsuna's house after school today, Mikami? There will be something interesting to see!"

"Interesting?" Yotsuba repeated. "Well, I guess I could take a day off from the Disciplinary Committee… but what's going to be interesting, Reborn-san? …Reborn-san?"

When Yotsuba looked back into the fire extinguisher box, Reborn has already disappeared.

----------

The game was to have Tsuna ask Gokudera to help him at anything at all. It must be an easy win, Gokudera had thought. No matter how brilliant Reborn is, there is no way that he could lose at this game. Gokudera was full of confidence as he made his way toward Tsuna's house after school. As he neared Tsuna's house, he could already hear Nana's voice saying, "Tsu-kun! Could you take this to the neighbor, please?"

The door to Tsuna's house opened slowly, revealing an unwilling Tsuna. "Man, what a hassle…"

"Don't fear! I'm here!" Gokudera exclaimed happily outside of Tsuna's house, surprising Tsuna with his sudden appearance.

"HUH?!" Tsuna was clearly dumbfounded. He would never know what's going on in Gokudera's mind.

"Eh?" Another voice came from behind Tsuna, Gokudera raised his head only to find the girl that he did not want to see the most—Yotsuba. "Gokudera-kun, you're here too?"

Gokudera's face fell. Of course, Yotsuba caught the change of expression, and it made her pissed off. First he does it at school, and now at Tsuna's house? Something is clearly wrong with him, but she swallowed her words as Tsuna began to speak.

"Um…" Tsuna said, sensing a bit of tension, "Why don't you come in first?"

Hearing Tsuna's words, Gokudera quickly smiled. "Sorry for the bother, then!"

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow, but followed them upstairs nonetheless. The three of them settled in Tsuna's bedroom, which was quite messy with all his clothes tossed around and empty bottles. Tsuna was first to break the silence again.

"So why have you guys come to my house all of a sudden?" Tsuna asked. "Honestly, I haven't started my homework yet…"

Gokudera's heartbeat quickened at Tsuna's statement. _Finally, this is what I'm good at! As me to help you with it, Juudaime!!_

"But, Tsuna-kun, it's almost summer vacation!" Yotsuba said.

"Yeah, it sure is peaceful right now…" Tsuna said lazily, agreeing to Yotsuba's comment and leaning back in a relaxing way.

Gokudera fumed. "WHY DO YOU SAY THAT?!" His fist slammed onto the little table.

"Heeeee!!" Tsuna jumped back, scared of Gokudera's outburst.

"I'm right in front of you!" Gokudera exclaimed. But before Tsuna could think of anything to say, something else caught his eyes.

"HEEEEE!!! It appeared!!"

Gokudera and Yotsuba both turned their heads toward the direction that Tsuna was pointing at. A big, black, shiny bug was happily making its way across Tsuna's wall.

"A cockroach!" Tsuna screamed. "I hate cockroaches!"

_Here's my chance!_ Stars could be seen shining in Gokudera's eyes. He was ready to light his dynamite. _Come on, Juudaime! Ask me for help!_

"Ara! Tsuna-kun, it's just a cockroach!" Yotsuba said nonchalantly, walking toward the wall like there was nothing to be afraid of. With a quick snatch, she caught the cockroach by its tentacles, and threw the little creature over her shoulder and out the window.

_Wha—what?! _Gokudera was frozen in place.

"Whoa, Yotsuba-chan, you're not scared of cockroaches?" Tsuna asked in amazement.

Yotsuba smiled with a little embarrassment. "I got used to getting rid of them by myself because Kabi often mistaken them for chocolates! Well, I'm going to go downstairs to wash my hands!"

As Yotsuba hobbled downstairs, Nana's voice came up the stairs again. "Tsu-kun! Can you give me a hand? Move the couch in the living room!"

"Psh, how can I do it myself?" Tsuna muttered under his breath.

"Oh!" Gokudera's heart jumped again. _Physical labor is fine, too!_

"Yotsuba-chan! Can you help out while you're down there?" Tsuna yelled toward the hallway, making Gokudera topple over.

_Why do you ask her?!_ Gokudera screamed in his head.

"Me?!" Yotsuba's voice came from downstairs. "Just tell Lambo and I-Pin to do it! Lambo!! I-Pin!! Ack, they're fighting again! Come stop them, Tsuna-kun!"

"Why do _I _have to do it?!" Tsuna yelled, but walked out of his room nonetheless. "I'm gonna go for a bit, be right back!"

Gokudera watched Tsuna leave desperately. He could not understand why this was all happening. Just as he began to sulk silently, Yotsuba came back up the stairs. Noticing Yotsuba's presence, Gokudera quickly turned his back to her. Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at his reaction, but decided not to go at it.

"Why are you looking so depressed, Hayato-kun?" Yotsuba said as if nothing happened. "Tsuna-kun will be back soon! But he sure is busy today, ne! He probably won't have anymore energy to talk to you later, Hayato-ku…"

"STOP JOKING AROUND!" Gokudera suddenly exploded. Jerking his body around to face Yotsuba, his eyes glaring at her angrily.

Yotsuba was clearly taken back. "What?"

"Here I am trying to help Juudaime in every way possible, but you're ruining everything!" Gokudera shouted. "As a part of Vongola, you should be ashamed!"

Yotsuba was astonished, and angry. She could not make any sense out of what Gokudera was saying, but the boy just glared at her with his anger at the top notch.

"Everyday… following that Disciplinary Committee guy like a little servant," Gokudera spat out each word slowly, he could not hide his anger any longer, "It's as if… as if you'd rather be serving that bastard than Juudaime! Do you know that you're betraying him?!"

Suddenly, Yotsuba was speechless. She didn't know that Gokudera thought of her and Hibari that way. Really? Does Tsuna really think she's betraying him? Yotsuba frowned and looked down at her feet. She did not know.

Silence filled the whole room. Gokudera stared at Yotsuba while Yotsuba stared into space. The two of them remained like that for quite a while. Seeing that Yotsuba has nothing to say for herself, Gokudera felt even angrier. He had wished that she would say something to defend herself. However, the silence calmed him down a little. He began to catch his breath again and loosened his muscles.

With a much calmer, but colder, voice, he said, "I got a promotion."

Yotsuba looked up at him with confusion.

"To work closer with the Ninth, I must go back to Italy tomorrow." Gokudera said. "But if it's for Juudaime… I'll do anything."

Yotsuba remained silent for a few seconds, and then smiled sadly, "Congratulations, Gokudera-kun! I… I'm so jealous of you. Because I'm not strong like you or Yamamoto-kun, I can't support Tsuna-kun the way you guys can. But… but I will! I'll do my best to be a true Vongola!"

Gokudera watched silently as Yotsuba made her way toward Tsuna's door, ready to leave.

"Just… come back to visit, ne!" Yotsuba said before getting out. "Tsuna-kun… and I… are going to miss you!"

With that, the girl left without even looking back.

----------

By the end of the day, Gokudera thought he was going to Italy for sure. He was determined to support Tsuna from afar until he accidentally heard a conversation between Tsuna and Reborn. It seems that Tsuna really didn't want Gokudera to leave, in a friend's point of view. Touched by Tsuna's words, Gokudera decided not to go to Italy after all.

In the end, the promotion turned out to be just a test for Gokudera. The Ninth wanted to test Gokudera's loyalty, and Gokudera has passed the test, of course. And Gokudera has returned to his regular job of following Tsuna.

"Yosh! Time to head to Juudaime's!" Gokudera said to himself as the school bell dismissed the students. Gokudera stood from his chair and was about to follow Tsuna out the door, but something grabbed onto the corner of his shirt.

Gokudera looked down to see Reborn. "Reborn-san?"

"Before you go to Tsuna's," Reborn smirked, "Why don't you come with me first? I have something interesting to show you."

Raising an eyebrow, Gokudera followed Reborn reluctantly, wanting to walk home with Tsuna. But since it's Reborn, he should listen anyway.

The two of them made their way up the staircases, and they arrived at the rooftop. Gokudera wondered why they've come here as he opened the door a little bit. Instantly, the sound of people fighting could be heard. Curiously, Gokudera opened the door a bit more and saw an extreme fight between Hibari and Yotsuba.

Gokudera's eyes widened. Yotsuba's body was already covered in bandages, yet she was getting new wounds. She dodged Hibari's attacks easily, but had a lot of trouble getting close to him to attack.

"Mikami has been fighting with Hibari like this everyday after school," Reborn said, bringing Gokudera out of his trance.

Reborn continued, "Although Mikami still loses quite a lot, she's been getting less and less wounds each time. Ever since the battle with Mukuro, Mikami knew that her old self wasn't enough to stand side by side with you guys. This is what she's willing to go through to become stronger. _This_… is what she's giving for Vongola."

A big thump brought Gokudera's eyes back to the battle. Yotsuba has collapsed on the hard surface of the rooftop, her back heaving up and down from her panting. Gokudera watched silently as the girl slowly got back up to her feet and charged at Hibari again.

Gradually, the anger that's been building inside of Gokudera disappeared.

"Hmph… stupid woman…"

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Review please! I love reading your reviews, they just make me so pumped up!


	22. Time Traveling

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 22: Time Traveling**

**----------**

It was a peaceful and quiet day. Almost too peaceful, Tsuna thought as he listened to the birds chirping. It worried him that nothing strange has happened today. They were sitting in class, listening to the teacher's lecture like normal students did. Yamamoto and Yotsuba were asleep; Gokudera was listening to his music player; Tsuna, himself, wasn't paying attention to class. The serenity in the air bothered him a lot, because something horrible always happens when it gets too quiet.

"Is Sawada here?"

All heads in the classroom turned to the opened door, where Sasagawa Ryohei stood. A bad feeling was already rising in his head when Tsuna heard his name being called. Series of chitchat began to take place as the students saw the unusually serious expression on Ryohei's face.

"Isn't his mood different from the usual?"

"He's quiet today!"

"What's wrong, Onii-chan?" Kyoko asked, a little worried about her brother's unusual quietness.

"Aren't you Sasagawa from the boxing club?" the teacher asked; he was clearly unhappy that his class got interrupted. "Do you need something in the middle of the class?"

Ryohei began, unusually serious, "Yes. The story began the day before yesterday… wait, the day before? The day before yesterday?"

And then he exploded. "EEI! THIS IS TOO TROUBLESOME! JUST GET ME SAWADA!!"

The teacher was so shocked that his eyes might bulge out of their sockets. But the students were quite used to Ryohei's sudden outbursts, and they thought that he was just back to himself. Standing up weakly, Tsuna asked, "Um… what is it?"

"I'll explain it later; just come with me right now!" Ryohei exclaimed as he dragged Tsuna outside of the classroom.

Waking up at the commotion, Yamamoto, Yotsuba, and Gokudera followed Ryohei and Tsuna out to the back of the school.

----------

The five of them met up with an old man at the back of the school. The man introduced himself as the master to a dojo nearby. From the old man they learned that there had been cases of thugs breaking into local dojos frequently. Three dojos in Namimori have already gotten their signboards taken away by those thugs. Not being able to guard his own dojo, the old man has been asking for help and Ryohei volunteered himself and Tsuna. Of course, Tsuna refused at first.

"Think about it, Sawada!" Ryohei said hot-bloodedly. "When you fight for justice, you'll know how wonderful boxing is!!"

_Why is this about boxing?!_ Tsuna thought.

"Hmph! Stupid lawn-head! Juudaime is all about justice!" Gokudera said to Ryohei, earning himself a "Who'd you just call a lawn-head, octopus-head!"

"Maa, Tsuna! I don't see any reason not to help out!" Yamamoto said happily.

"You should do it, Tsuna-kun!" Yotsuba added. "Where would you rather be anyway? School or dojo?"

_Neither!_ Tsuna exclaimed in his head, but ended up going to the dojo anyway because of his friend's encouragement and Reborn's threats.

Therefore, Tsuna and the others, along with several members of the boxing club, made their ways to the dojo. When they arrived at the dojo, they could already sense the high tension among the master and the students. At this situation, Ryohei was even more fired up. Whereas Tsuna couldn't get worked up at all.

"Ano…" Tsuna asked the master of the dojo beside him, "Are you sure there really are just people coming around to defeat the dojos?"

The master nodded. "Yes, they come at exactly 3:30…"

"What kind of people are they?"

"About that… all the witnesses are heavily injured to the point that they can't speak."

"WHAT?!"

"People say, after they leave, there won't even be a blade of grass left."

Tsuna couldn't believe what he was hearing. Can those people really be that bad? But before he could ponder more about the matter, the people already came.

"They're here!" Ryohei said.

The dojo door opened and a glare came in. Nobody saw anyone, until they looked down and saw a little girl only about five years old. "I-PIN!!"

Ryohei took a step forward. "It's that large-forehead girl from the Sawada family!"

"Didn't I just say her name was I-Pin?!" Tsuna exclaimed, and then turned to I-Pin. "What are you doing at a place like this? Did something happen at home?"

I-Pin shook her head no, and said something in her native tongue.

"I've come to take the dojo's board," Reborn translated. "So she said."

Everyone present was shocked that a little like that was taking away all the dojo's signboards. Even though Tsuna was still doubting, Ryohei already made the order to catch I-Pin with "extreme power". The boxing club members charged at I-Pin, but she jumped high in the air and defeated all of them in an instant.

"Che," Gokudera made a tisking sound and took out his bombs. "These people are useless! Juudaime, leave it all to me!"

"Heeeee!! Don't light those in here, Gokudera-kun!"

"Yeah, Gokudera! Fireworks are for outdoors!"

"THESE ARE NOT FIREWORKS!"

Yotsuba sighed. "Boys… you can't count on them for anything!" Taking a step toward I-Pin, Yotsuba bent down and grabbed something from her back. She took out a large, round lollipop and waved it in front of I-Pin, "Candy?"

Just when I-Pin was going to fall for it, someone else crashed into the dojo. "GAHAHAHAHA! Lambo-san wants candy too!"

"Lambo!" Yotsuba turned around to see Lambo standing behind her, already holding a lollipop. "No! You already have one!"

"AND IT'S STUCK IN YOUR HAIR!!" Tsuna exclaimed as he pointed out.

Lambo then tried to laugh and take out the lollipop at the same time, but ended up choking instead. "Don't… ignore… Lambo-san!!"

Tsuna could not think of what to do, and Lambo has already taken a leap toward Yotsuba, who was holding the new lollipop. However, he had an unsuccessful landing. His lollipop shattered with a merciless crack, and tears welled up in Lambo's big eyes.

"CAAANDYYY!!" Lambo wailed.

Tsuna was going to say something when he was interrupted by Ryohei again.

"Be quiet!" Ryohei said, grabbing I-Pin from behind. "The fight is over! This just proves that boxing is the greatest martial art!"

Just as Ryohei thought that everything was over, there was suddenly an explosion. Pink smoke was flowing everywhere and Tsuna instantly knew what happened. The smoke came from where Lambo was standing, so that could only mean one thing. A tall, slim figure replaced the little cow-suited boy. Tsuna was not wrong; it was the Ten-Year Bazooka.

"Oh, great. I was in the middle of cleaning the bathtub…" Adult Lambo groaned as he sat up with a scrub in his hand.

"Adult Lambo!" Tsuna exclaimed, but before he could say anything else, a voice that wasn't present before screamed out.

"ARRRRGHHHH, WHAT IS THIS?! LAMBO, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!"

Tsuna, Adult Lambo, Gokudera, and Yamamoto all looked toward where the voice came from. There was still some smoke around. _Wait… Lambo was standing close to Yotsuba-chan when he fired the Ten-Year Bazooka… so does that mean…?_

A taller, curvy figure walked out of the pink smoke. The boys, except for Lambo, all gaped at the woman in front of them. Besides the new height, the slightly wavier hair, and the maturity, she was _definitely_ Yotsuba from the future! Adult Yotsuba held a very mad expression at the moment, and she was glaring at Lambo, who cowered at the woman's fierce eyes.

"Ah… Yotsuba-san!" Lambo stuttered.

"I was in the middle of a mission!!" Yotsuba shouted. "And I was about to close the deal, too! If anything happens to my younger self, I will end you!"

Lambo panicked and hid behind Tsuna. Tsuna opened his mouth, "Um… Yo…Yotsuba-chan? Just exactly what kind of mission do you go on?"

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto have been studying Adult Yotsuba for a while, and they were all getting weird ideas about the content Yotsuba's mission. She was wearing a very revealing black dress, with her white thighs showing and all, and some deadly high heels. Plus, one strap of the dress was falling off her shoulder. Her hair was messy, and her lipstick seemed to be smeared too. Tsuna couldn't help but blush a little, but at least he wasn't the only one. Gokudera and Yamamoto were speechless and blushing, too. But, considering that Lambo wasn't, that means Yotsuba does things like this a lot in the future.

"What kind of mission?" Yotsuba repeated. "Spying, of course! There's a rising mafia family and they seem to be doing some dirty work in the black market, so I was sent to spy on them."

"And… you need to dress like that?"

"Well, you know how middle-aged men are." Yotsuba shrugged as she fixed the strap on her dress. "I couldn't find any replacement, anyway. Bianchi-san was on vacation and Chrome is obviously too shy to do the job."

Tsuna just gaped. He couldn't understand a word that she just said. And who is Chrome?

"But, still…" Yotsuba said as she approached Gokudera and Yamamoto, "Ah! So nostalgic! Everyone is so young back then!"

Gokudera and Yamamoto's cheeks were pinched by Yotsuba's long fingers. Yamamoto scratched the back of his head with embarrassment; Gokudera fumed at the touch.

"Woman! Don't touch me!" Gokudera yelled as he slapped her hand away.

"Ara! Hayato-kun!" Yotsuba stepped back in a dramatic way. "You know, you are so much gentler ten years later!"

Gokudera blushed hard. "I…I'm not gonna believe a word you say! Besides, aren't you supposed to be back by now?!"

All heads turned to Lambo, who was still in his adult form also. It seemed that the Ten-Year Bazooka was malfunctioning again. Yotsuba's expression got more and more stupefied every second. Tsuna noticed the change in mood, "What's wrong?"

"Well," Yotsuba began, "At this rate, I just hope my younger self comes back a virgin…"

……………

"WHAT?!"

----------

The last thing Yotsuba saw was a blinding light shooting out at her. She didn't know what happened; was she attacked? There was a dizzy feeling in her head, and then, judging by her position, she figured that she was now lying down on something soft—probably a bed. But then, she felt another weight on her, and she curiously opened her eyes. An enlarged face of a middle-aged man with a big mole right next to his nose was in front of her face.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Yotsuba screeched in horror. However, her scream stopped short as she heard another voice's scream on top of hers. It was the man's.

"Wha-wha-wha-WHAT HAPPENED?!" The man backed away, stuttering in Italian as he spoke. "Lady Noir! Where's Lady Noir?!"

Yotsuba raised her voice to cover his. "I don't know what you're talking about! Who are you?! And where am I?!"

"Who am I? WHO ARE _YOU?!_" The man shouted over Yotsuba. "This… this is ridiculous! You must've disguised yourself as Lady Noir, and tried to set me up!"

Then something dawned upon Yotsuba—she must've been hit with the Ten-Year Bazooka. _That little brat… he'll get it when she goes back. _Still, Yotsuba was confused. Lady Noir? But before she could yell back at him, the man got off the bed that they were both on, and took out a gun from his back. Yotsuba was silenced instantly as the man pointed the gun right at her forehead.

"Little missy, I'll have you know that you've just made a death wish when you decided to mess with Adolfo Massimiliano of the Massimiliano Family!"

In the next second, three sounds were heard at once: Yotsuba's screaming, the clicking of the trigger, and…

"YOTSUBA-CHAN!!!!"

A man around his early-twenties burst into the room. His voice and face were very familiar to Yotsuba, but she couldn't grasp who it was. The young man charged at Adolfo, who was dumbfounded at the young man's appearance. In an instant, the young man knocked Adolfo out with the back of his katana. Adolfo collapsed with a thump, and the young man turned around and made a surprised face to see young Yotsuba.

"Ah! Ten-Year Bazooka, is it? I was wondering why you were taking so long even though I gave you a signal a while ago!" The man said with a big bright smile.

Yotsuba studied the young man. The big bright smile, the katana, the short black hair…

"Ya…Yamamoto-kun?"

"Yep!" Adult Yamamoto said as he put away his katana and picked up Yotsuba princess style. Yotsuba yelped at the sudden lift, and grabbed onto the collar of Yamamoto's dress shirt.

"Wha…what are you doing?!"

"I'll take you back to the headquarters," Yamamoto said, exiting through the window all the while. "Our mission is completed, anyway!"

"Mission?"

"Yeah, Tsuna often sends you and someone else on missions like this!" Yamamoto explained as he darted with an incredible speed through the woods. "Yotsuba-chan takes on a disguise as Lady Noir, a well-known pub dancer in Italy. First, you spy in the opposite Family and figure out their strengths and weaknesses. And then Yotsuba distracts the leader of other families while the others take care of the subordinates, and we signal you to escape when we're done."

"Oh…" Yotsuba said as she took everything in, "do I always use… _that_… kind of tactic to distract the middle-aged men?"

"Hahahaha! Don't worry, Yotsuba-chan, Tsuna made a rule for you to signal us when the enemy tries to go too far. And when you signal, it's our first priority to get to your side."

"I see…" Yotsuba nodded; a small smile formed on her lips.

_That's great… Yamamoto-kun is still happy as always ten years later, and Tsuna-kun is the Tenth leader as I expected!_

Just as Yotsuba was lost in her thoughts, Yamamoto has stopped running. Yotsuba looked up at him and Yamamoto smiled down at her as he put her down. "I'm going to create a distraction so other people don't find out about the Vongola headquarters! Follow me closely, okay?"

Yotsuba nodded, but before she could make out what Yamamoto was doing, rain started to pour from the sky.

"Yamamoto-kun! I didn't know you knew magic!" Yotsuba gasped.

Yamamoto laughed and gradually disappeared in the rain, "follow me!"

"Ah! Wait!" Yotsuba tried to run after him, but, out of any other time, she was clumsy this time and slipped on the wet grass. Taking a fall on the butt, Yotsuba groaned. And when she stood up again, she'd lost track of Yamamoto.

"Oh, no…" Yotsuba said to herself as she started to wander aimlessly. The rain had stopped and the sky was clear, but she could not find a clue of where the headquarters are. Well, Yotsuba was never the kind to worry too much about herself, so she just kept on walking. She figured that she was completely going the wrong way as she exited the woods.

Yotsuba ended up in a small city somewhere in Italy. Even though she grew up in the Vongola headquarters, she didn't know where she was. Maybe it was another branch that Tsuna made. And she couldn't ask anyone, either. So Yotsuba just resumed walking toward nowhere, hoping that she would return to the past soon. _Speaking of the past, hasn't five minutes passed already?_

Oh, now she's getting more worried. _What if I can't get back?!_ Anxiously, Yotsuba turned around toward the woods and fastened her pace. She didn't notice that someone was closely behind her until she crashed right into him. She fell backwards from the human wall, but her arm was grabbed before she could make contact with the ground. She looked up to see a young man with a sly grin.

"Um… sorry!" Yotsuba said quickly. "I didn't see you behind me!"

"Don't worry about it!" The young man said sweetly, his white hair shining under the sun. "You know, you look terribly like someone I know!"

"Oh, really?" Yotsuba said absentmindedly, trying to leave. "Who would that be?"

"You look just like… a younger version of Lady Noir."

"Eh?" The name caught Yotsuba's attention. She studied the young man's face a little more. No, she was sure that she doesn't know this person. She put on a mischievous grin, "Who knows? Maybe I'm the young Lady Noir from the past!"

With that said, Yotsuba ran past the young man and back into the woods. The young watched as Yotsuba disappeared into the woods, and an explosion soon followed. Some pink smoke traveled out from inside the woods. The young man's grin spread out wider.

"The past, you say?" The man murmured in a sickly sweet tone. "Miss Mikami Yotsuba of Vongola…"

----------

"Ah, Yotsuba-chan!"

Yotsuba opened her eyes as the pinkness faded away. She was relieved to see that she was back to the past.

"The real thugs were just here a minute ago," Tsuna explained the situation. "But don't worry, Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun helped taking them out!"

Tsuna's words went from one of Yotsuba's ears and out the other. With a thump, Yotsuba sat down on her back and lied down on the floor.

"Yotsuba-chan?" Tsuna called her name worriedly.

Yotsuba smiled weakly, "I think I've had enough of today…"

Closing her eyes shut after those words, Yotsuba fell right to sleep.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: This chapter was kind of written just for fun, but I guess it'll become an important factor in the Future Arc, if I go as I planned. Anyway, review please! And I'll give you a lot more Mukuro and Hibari in the next chapter!


	23. One Summer Night

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 23: One Summer Night**

_My little clover… my little clover…_

Yotsuba opened her eyes to the deep voice calling her. She wasn't surprised, as she already knew who would be calling her in her dreams, and she stared straight into the eyes of the man in front of her. He knelt down beside her in the vast clover field. He held that small smile that he always have, except with less menace. As if trying to test if he was real or not, Yotsuba reached out her hand, but stopped before touching him. The man chuckled softly as he took hold of Yotsuba's hand and lightly put it on his left cheek. Yotsuba let out a breath that she's been holding.

"Mukuro… you finally came…"

"I've been quite busy with some personal things," Mukuro explained. "I'm happy to know that my little clover's been waiting for me…"

"I just…" Yotsuba looked away, "I just wanted to know why you showed me… that horrible place…"

Mukuro let go of her hand. "I didn't. You were the one that was searching, remember?"

"I…" Yotsuba stopped short, having nothing to say.

Seeing that Yotsuba has become silent, Mukuro started to speak again. "That's not what you really wanted to ask, is it?"

Suddenly, Yotsuba stiffened. The distance between measured up to not even a meter. The man was completely relaxed, sitting back in the softness of the clovers. It seemed that he was in a good mood, but Yotsuba, on the other hand, started to tense up by Mukuro's question.

"Little clover?" Mkukuro called in playful voice.

Yotsuba sighed, feeling weak in her legs.

"Are you… not suffering anymore?"

She looked into his eyes as he looked into hers. His eyes were calm, as if he already knew that the question was coming. "My body is still in the water jail, but my soul is free."

"Oh…"

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Mukuro asked. "It'd be easy to take over your body right now."

"No, I don't think you would," Yotsuba said without hesitating, surprising Mukuro a little. "I mean, I obviously don't know much about you; you've been through the Six Reincarnations, after all. But… I just have a feeling that… you won't do that to me, or even to Tsuna-kun, for that matter."

Mukuro was speechless for a while, but started to chuckle again. "My little clover… you're still the same as always; always just assuming things."

Yotsuba smiled a little as she gazed into Mukuro's eyes again. The red eye shined calmly, the power within the eye was unimaginable. And Yotsuba would never know the past of the cursed eye. The blood red color was darker than black, so dark that anyone could get lost in it.

Long time ago, there was a theory. It said that the reason why people were afraid of darkness was not the darkness itself. They were really afraid of the unseen, the unknown things that hid in the darkness. Human's fear comes from the unknown, and the fear turns into reject. So people made candles, invented light bulbs. All for the sake of obtaining control, shutting darkness out of the world.

Yotsuba frowned, suddenly feeling very sad.

"Ah, it's that face again," Mukuro smiled. "Yotsuba-chan always makes that face to me…"

"I want to find out," Yotsuba blurted out. "I want to know, Mukuro, everything about you…"

Mukuro was taken back; his eyes widened at Yotsuba's sudden statement. But he resumed his smile soon after. "Don't, little clover. I don't want you to lose that naïve little mind of yours."

_And that… wonderful smile that you have…_

"Mukuro…" Yotsuba muttered. But the next time she blinked, Mukuro has disappeared, and sleep was leaving her as well.

----------

Yotsuba woke up to a wet and sticky feeling. She turned her head to the side and saw her pet yeti licking her all over the face. Patting Kabi on the head as she sat up, she noticed that her blanket and her pillow were all kicked to the floor.

It was another hot day. The peaceful school days passed by with a flash, and it is now summer vacation. No more Disciplinary Committee duties and no more risks of getting bitten to death, Yotsuba was starting to enjoy the relaxation of the summer days. Sometimes she wondered how Hibari was spending his summer vacation, and she couldn't deny that it was a bit weird at first to not see Hibari's tonfa first thing in the morning.

However, the silence in her room and the heat was agitating her a bit. She stood up quickly and headed for the showers. After a quick, cold shower, Yotsuba walked to the couch, where a neatly-folded yukata was placed. It was one that Haru and Kyoko had picked out for her just for today—for the Summer Festival.

Yotsuba had always been looking forward to this event, hearing about it from Haru and Kyoko and all. She couldn't wait to see the food stands, the game stands, and the fireworks. Abandoning her earlier annoyance of the heat, Yotsuba quickly changed into the blue yukata, and head out the door after grabbing some money.

----------

"Tsuna-kun! What's up?"

The first person Yotsuba saw at the crowded Festival was none other than Sawada Tsunayoshi. Tsuna was standing in front of a food stand, which sold chocolate covered bananas.

"Yotsuba-chan! You're here!" Tsuna waved, and Yotsuba took skippy steps toward him.

"What?! That stupid woman's here?!" Gokudera's voice came from behind the stand. As Yotsuba got closer, Gokudera and Yamamoto's head stuck out to see her.

"Yo! Yotsuba-chan!" Yamamoto greeted energetically. "Uwa, Yotsuba-chan, the yukata looks cute on you!"

Yotsuba blushed a little. "Thanks!"

"Yeah, the color really brings a cool, breezy, feeling!" Tsuna said in agreement.

"Che, I've seen better!" Gokudera said, head turning to the side. "Now, shoo! You're blocking the customers, stupid woman!"

Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. "I think it's your face that's scaring the customers away, barbarian-kun! And why are you guys selling this, anyway?"

"The city council allowed us to make money at the festival to pay for all the damages we've done in Namimori." Yamamoto explained, blocking out Gokudera's shouting. ("Who are you calling barbarian?!") "We have to sell five hundred bananas!"

After the explanation, Tsuna and Yotsuba ended up helping out at the stand. The four of them worked hard to sell the bananas, but they were having a good time as well. Gokudera mostly scared the customers away, Yamamoto was giving out too many free bananas, and Yotsuba was falling asleep here and there.

Half of the day hasn't even gone by yet, when a worried-looking man came to their stand. "You guys should prepare a placement fee for your stand, too!"

"A placement fee?!" Tsuna repeated incredulously.

"It's like a tradition where people have to pay to get into this area." Gokudera explained.

"We plan to follow it and pay the fee!" added Yamamoto.

As if on cue, the fee collector appeared. The four of them widened their eyes as they recognized the fearful black hair, eagle-eyed Disciplinary Committee Chairman. "50,000 yen."

"HIBARI-SAN!!" Tsuna shrieked.

"Ah! Kyouya!" Yotsuba's eyes lit up upon seeing Hibari. She hasn't seen him for a while, yet he was still wearing the old Namimori uniform.

"YOU!" Gokudera pointed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Don't tell me…"

"…The fees go straight to the Disciplinary Committee?!" Tsuna finished Yamamoto's sentence.

Hibari merely glared at the overreacting herbivores. "They're funds for our club activities. If you can't pay it, I'll crush your stand."

Then the four of them heard a scream from a nearby stand. They looked over and saw some Disciplinary Committee members crashing down a food stand. The owner was on his knees begging them to stop. The four of them shivered at the thought of that happening to their stand.

"So what is it going to be?" Hibari said in a dangerous voice, raising his tonfa.

"Wait, Kyouya!" Yotsuba stepped up. "Here's 50,000 yen!"

Yotsuba handed the boy some cash. That was the first time today that Hibari landed his eyes on Yotsuba, and he looked her up and down quickly. Without saying another word, Hibari left the stands.

"Stupid woman! Why did you give him the money?!" Gokudera snapped.

"Don't worry! I paid it out of my own pocket!" Yotsuba said, trying to calm him down. "I don't want all of our hard work to go to waste!"

Tsuna frowned. "What? But we don't want you to just use your money…"

"It's all right!" Yotsuba smiled. "My daddy can always send me more!"

----------

Soon after the incident with Hibari, Kyoko and Haru also arrived at the Festival. They greeted Tsuna and the others and bought some chocolate bananas. Yotsuba snickered as Tsuna's face reddened at the sight of Kyoko in a yukata. And so, out of wanting to watch the fireworks with everyone, Tsuna and the others were fired up to sell all the bananas before the fireworks started. With everyone all working hard, and Adult I-Pin's help with feng-shui, they only had one box left within a few hours.

Soon after that, Yamamoto left to play a ball throwing game like he usually does every year. Gokudera left, also, to use the bathroom. And Yotsuba fell asleep, so there was only Tsuna watching the shop.

_It's become quiet all of a sudden…_ Tsuna thought as a wave of bad feelings hit him.

Not long after that thought, a tall man ran toward the chocolate banana stand and snatched their money box away. Tsuna yelled after the thief and started chasing him. Yotsuba also woke up from the commotion, and started chasing the thief too. The three of them played chase until they arrived into the woods and into a clearing, where more of those thugs appeared.

"Ah!" Tsuna gasped as he realized who they were. "The senpai's at the beach!"

Yotsuba looked at Tsuna. 'Tsuna-kun, you know them?"

Tsuna nodded. "They were a bunch of no-good lifeguards at the beach at we went to last time. They were bullying little kids and stuff. Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun taught them a lesson!"

"Che, watch what you're saying, brat!" one of the thugs said, probably the leader. "I've been waiting for this moment. I'll make sure you never speak again!"

"Heeeee!!" Tsuna backed away, panicking.

Yotsuba jumped in front of Tsuna, holding up her fists. "I suggest you guys drop the money and run away right now!"

"Oh?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Let's see who's the one that's going to run away when I start slicing!"

The man took out a pocket knife from his back pocket. Frowning, Yotsuba backed away a little with Tsuna. _This is not good…_

"I'm so happy, I'm trembling…"

All heads looked toward where the voice came from. It was Hibari, who already had beaten up some of the thugs. He held his tonfa's tightly in both hands, and his eyes showed bloodlust.

"I thought I found a delicious crowd, but it turned out to be the thieves that we were after," Hibari said as he stepped closer slowly, licking his lower lip. "The Disciplinary Committee shall take all the money you stole."

"WHAT?!" Tsuna exclaimed. _This guy only thinks about himself!_

The two sides fought, and soon Gokudera and Yamamoto joined the fight also. Even though Tsuna and the others were only junior high students, except for Hibari, they still beat the high school thugs with a landslide. It was the first time Hibari fought with the Family, but he was only after the money box. As the thugs ran away, Hibari reached for the money box.

"Wait!" Tsuna snatched the money box bravely. "This is the money that everyone worked hard for! We can't just give it to you!"

Hibari stared down at Tsuna mercilessly. "I'll bite you to---"

"Kyouya!" Yotsuba called out to Hibari, who acknowledged her from the corner of his eye. "Tsuna's right. We worked really hard for this money! And we helped you fight off those thugs, didn't we? There were a lot of them; don't tell me that you could've beaten them all!"

Hibari stared at Yotsuba for quite a while. His piercing gaze making Yotsuba a little nervous, as well as Tsuna, who gulped at this scene. Without saying a word, Hibari walked in front of the brave girl.

"Then, it's a trade," he said.

"Eh?"

"You for the money box," Hibari added as he grabbed Yotsuba's hand, dragging her away from the clearing.

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were left gawking.

----------

Hibari and Yotsuba arrived at the top of a hill somewhere in the woods. No trees blocked the view of the sky and they were high enough to be away from the city lights. It was quite dark at the location, and Yotsuba could not make out Hibari's expression when she looked. Honestly, it was kind of awkward.

"Um…" Yotsuba broke the silence. "How is your summer, Kyouya?"

Hibari remained silent, making it even more awkward. Yotsuba felt herself sweat a little, and she flipped her brain around and around to think of something to say. But before she could say anything, something broke the silence for her.

_**BOOM! BOOM!**_

Yotsuba's eyes darted toward the sky as the fireworks lit up the darkness from before. Without the city lights, the fireworks looked even clearer, more colorful, and they were just stunning. The sparks were so beautiful that Yotsuba didn't realized that she was smiling. Like a little child, she gasped as the fireworks exploded.

"Kyo…" Turning her head toward Hibari quickly, she was going to say thanks to him before she stopped short.

Hibari's smooth skin and dark eyes sparkled with the lights given off by the fireworks. His hair swayed playfully in the wind, and even his eyelashes danced. Yotsuba didn't notice how close she was standing to Hibari, and how beautiful he looked. His eyes seemed to give off magic, too. After all those times that she spent with him, she never noticed the charm of Hibari Kyouya.

"So… beautiful…" she muttered unconsciously.

Hibari turned his gaze from the fireworks to Yotsuba suddenly, making her jump a bit. The corners of his lips curled up into a smirk. "What's beautiful? The fireworks?... or me?"

Yotsuba flushed in an instant. Her mind was blank and she couldn't think of how to answer the beautiful man in front of her. Hibari leaned in closer to her, raising a hand next to her face. Yotsuba's face heated up dramatically, and her heart was beating fast. Having no idea what he's trying to do, she closed her eyes shut, trembling.

Hibari's chuckled softly. "Are you expecting something?"

Yotsuba opened her eyes again, getting more and more confused. Hibari's hand moved up to the top of her head, and gently took off a leaf that has fallen on her head. Letting out a breath that she's been holding, she thought Hibari was only playing with her again.

…Until his lips claimed hers.

Yotsuba widened her eyes at the Hibari's sudden action. He was so close that she could not even see him well. Her whole body was frozen, and it felt like her heart has stopped. His lips were so soft… _and cold…_ she managed to think. They were like a hook that pulled her out of the summer heat and like a refreshing stream of water. In the midst of this, she felt Hibari's hands run up her arm and pulled their bodies closer together.

…………………

……………

………_I hope he's not eating me…_

The fireworks shot up in the sky continuously, celebrating the summer. But there were things that were more beautiful in front of the two of them at that moment.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: And I end the fillers with a kiss. Next chapter shall mark the beginning of the Varia Arc! I hope it's not too sudden that Hibari just kissed her! I know, kissing under the fireworks is so used before, but I just had to do it. Blame me for my uncreativeness. Please review and I'll love you!


	24. Beginning of a Storm

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 24: Beginning of a Storm**

**---------**

Dark clouds covered the midnight sky of Namimori, yet the people slept soundly in the peaceful quietness. They could not hear the clashing of metal jumping from roof to roof. One man insanely skilled with the sword, and a young boy with a fire burning upon his forehead, it was obvious which one of them had the upper hand. However, one thing that the young boy possessed kept him going even in the most drastic situation…

…the photograph of the young future leader of Vongola.

----------

The sun shone brightly and the birds chirped in the trees. It was as if all the clouds from the night before were just illusions. Despite the peaceful air in the morning, there was one girl who tossed and turned in her bed restlessly. Exasperated, Yotsuba bolted up from her bed. Her hair messy, eyes circled in black, and her cheeks were red as an apple. It's been so many hours, yet the heat in her face has not died down from the night of the Summer Festival.

"That jerk…" Yotsuba grumbled to herself, and started to hit her pillow. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?!"

Her pet Kabi jumped around her angrily. "Chi, chi, chi!"

"He… likes me?" Yotsuba said. "No way! He… he's supposed to bite me to death because I'm a herbivore! Maybe… he was just sample-tasting me…"

Kabi shook his head while sighing. How did his owner suddenly become so stupid?

Yotsuba calmed down a little as she heard the doorbell ring. Fanning herself with her hand, she made her way to the door. It was Yamamoto, grinning widely as usual.

"Yotsuba-chan, good mor…" he stopped short. "Are you all right?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You have dark circles under your eyes," Yamamoto said as he made circling movements with his finger. "And you seem a bit red. Are you sick?"

Yotsuba's palms shot up to her cheeks. "Oh! It's just the heat!"

"Really? That's good!" Yamamoto laughed in his naïve way. "Maa, I was wondering if you'd like to hang out with us to cheer Tsuna up a little."

"Sure thing," Yotsuba blinked. "What's wrong with Tsuna?"

"Well, Tsuna said that his dad is coming back after disappearing for two years, and he's not all that happy about his dad…"

"Oh, Iemitsu-san is back…" she murmured. "Why all of a sudden…?"

Yamamoto leaned in. "Did you say something?"

Yotsuba jumped back. "No! I mean, sure I'll go! We're all friends, after all!"

Yamamoto smiled, not suspecting anything, and led Yotsuba out the door.

----------

On the busy street of Namimori, Tsuna and his friends were like a small army that took up the space from one side walk to another. Yamamoto invited quite a few people—Fuuta, Lambo, I-pin, Kyoko, Haru, and of course, Reborn and Gokudera were there also. Yotsuba felt exceptionally happy about this, in contrast to Gokudera, because she has never had a group of friend of her age like this before. Even though Lambo was causing ruckus and embarrassing them, she enjoyed it anyway. Tsuna must've taken his mind off of his father, too.

They were having a great time just sitting down and talking, until something happened that ended the peacefulness for now, and for the coming days.

Something exploded at the top of a big building all of a sudden. And from the flying debris, a boy was shot out at high speed and crashed right into Tsuna. Out of instinct, Yotsuba grabbed the closest the two girls next to her and bolted away from the scene.

"Get the women and children to a safe place!" said Reborn.

Yotsuba gave Reborn a look of understanding, and gathered Kyoko, Haru, I-Pin, Lambo, and Fuuta all together.

"OOOOIIIIIII!!!"

The last thing Yotsuba heard before turning away to run was the menacing roar of man. A roar that's so familiar to her that it made her shiver.

----------

When all the dust and the debris have finally died down, Tsuna couldn't believe anything in front of his eyes. The boy who crashed into him from the sky called him "Sawada-dono", and his worried look scared Tsuna. And then there was the Dying Will Flame on the boy's forehead. But what shocked him even more was the next thing that happened.

From the direction of the explosion walked out a man with long, silver hair. His eyes meant all bad intentions, and his bloodthirsty eyes scared the wits out of Tsuna. The silver-haired man carried a sword, and he pointed at them to threaten out their relationship. Just when the man was going to strike Tsuna with the sword, a sky-ful of bombs came crashing down on the man.

"Try laying a hand on that person," Gokudera said while holding up more bombs, "I won't let you!"

Yamamoto stood by him. "Exactly. I'll be your opponent!"

"DON'T!!" The boy with the Dying Will Flame shouted before the two sides clashed at each other.

It was too late. In an instant, the differences between their powers were clearly shown. Two blows—one for Yamamoto and one for Gokudera, took them out easily.

"Hahahaha!!" The man laughed menacingly. "Weaklings!"

Tsuna shrieked as the man raised his sword at him again. But when it came down, only a clash between metals was heard. Tsuna looked up to see the flowing black hair of the girl that stood in front of him, blocking the man's sword with a metal stick that she picked up somewhere. Tsuna looked closer to see the shocked expression of the man.

"I don't know why you're here, but…" Yotsuba's voice was cold and flat. "…if you want to kill him, then you'd better step over my dead body first!"

"Y…You!" The man said through gritted teeth. It seemed like he was deciding whether or not to attack.

Yotsuba saw this as a chance. "If you're not attacking, I will!"

She charged at the man, swinging her stick at him. The man clocked each one of her attacks. _Amazing,_ Tsuna thought, _since when did Yotsuba become so fast_. The frown on the man's face became deeper and deeper; Tsuna thought that Yotsuba was winning until…

"Oooiii!! Are you joking around with me?!" The man bellowed angrily.

Yotsuba has been attacking nonstop, but none of her attacks were aimed at his crucial spots.

"Don't you underestimate me!" The man shouted as he swung his sword, sending Yotsuba's stick flying. "You should know how strong I am!!"

Tsuna's brain seemed to freeze at the next scene. The silver-haired man's sword slashed down at Yotsuba mercilessly, and it was too late for her to dodge anywhere. Blood splashed out as the muscle on her forearm ripped open. She grabbed the wound with her other hand tightly, attempting to stop the blood flow. But it was useless. Blood dripped nonstop, making a pool on the ground.

The silver-haired man was going to end it once and for all, but his sword-wielding hand was stopped by the boy that was referred to as "Sawada-dono."

"RE—BORN!!!!"

The man was taken back by the sudden burst of power, but soon realized that the gap between them was still too big.

"OOOOIII!!" he grinned. "You're weak!"

Tsuna was sent flying with one hit. The Dying Will Flame died down and Tsuna was back to normal. Seeing that the Dying Will Bullet was useless, he started to panic. But there was no time, the man was charging at him already.

"You're just like always, Superbi Squalo."

The silver-haired man stopped at the voice. Tsuna looked up and let out a breath in relief.

"Dino-san!!"

The blonde smiled down at Tsuna, but looked back at the man named Squalo harshly. "Don't you think it's embarrassing to bully kids around?"

Squalo glared at Dino. "The bucking horse…?"

"If you don't stop this distasteful game of yours, then I'll be your opponent."

Thinking that fighting with Dino wouldn't be easy, Squalo went with another plan. He grabbed Tsuna by the hair roughly and threw down some smoke bombs. Dino was able to save Tsuna, but Squalo took the box that the sandy-haired boy brought.

"I'll be taking this!!" With that, Squalo disappeared from the battlefield.

"No!" The young boy exclaimed. "The Vongola rings!!"

Tsuna took note of that. "Vo…Vongola rings?"

----------

The chaos has finally calmed down. The sandy-haired boy has collapsed at last, and Yotsuba also gave in to the pain and fatigue. Dino ordered his subordinates to pick them up as they hear the police approaching.

"Tsuna, I'll explain everything later," Dino gave Tsuna a reassuring look. "Right now, we've got to take them to the unused hospital I've prepared."

"Wha…what about Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun?"

"Don't worry about them," said Reborn.

As if on cue, the two young men ran toward Tsuna.

"Are you okay, Tsuna?"

"What was up with that long-hair?!"

"The level you're fighting at right now will be nothing but a bother," Reborn said heartlessly. "You two can go home."

Gokudera and Yamamoto stopped dead at Reborn's words.

"What are you saying, Reborn?!" Tsuna exclaimed.

However, Reborn did not give him an explanation. Instead, he just grabbed Tsuna by the hand and dragged in Dino's direction. Despite of all the yelling from Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto could not hear a sound. The two of them did not follow Tsuna as always; they stared at their foot, still stupefied by Reborn's words.

All because Reborn was right.

----------

"Dino-san!" Romario turned to Dino with worry. "It's no good! Yotsuba-san's cut is almost deep enough to see her bone! We can't stop the blood flow!"

"What?! That squalo…" Dino cursed under his breath. "Quick! We gotta make a run for it!"

Dino and his subordinates dashed toward the direction of the hospital. Tsuna and Reborn followed suit.

"I hope Yotsuba-chan will be all right…" said Tsuna, worry not leaving his voice. "But I didn't know Yotsuba became so strong. Even Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto-kun were defeated within a second; she fought with the long-hair for so long."

"Because for all this time Mikami has been training hard just to protect you guys," Reborn said. "Unlike you, Tsuna, only wasting through everyday."

Tsuna lowered his head. "Reborn… don't be so harsh!"

_Because the world is already so harsh, knocking you down in the most peaceful of time. _

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Enter Squalo and Basil! Ok, so I've decided to add a little side pairing of someone-from-VariaXYotsuba. And you will all know who very soon! Sorry for the uneventful chapter; it's just a prelude!


	25. Eight Vongola Rings

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 25: Eight Vongola Rings**

----------

In the quiet hospital, Yotsuba and the young man named Basil were settled in two large beds in one of the biggest rooms. Surrounding them were Tsuna, Reborn, Dino, and Romario. Tsuna is still surprised that he has been coming to the hospital frequently now. Ever since he was little, he resented coming to the hospital because of the smell of medicine, rubbing alcohol, and now especially, death. It all started when he found out that he was the chosen leader of a mafia family. He hated it. Because of the mafia, his friends have all ended up in the hospital. But if it weren't for Vongola, maybe he wouldn't have these friends at all.

"How's Basil doing, Romario?" Dino asked, breaking the silence in the room.

"His life's not in danger," Romario answered. "Looks like he's been trained well. His wounds are not severe."

"And what about Yocchan?"

"She lost a lot of blood, but she'll be fine thanks to boss's blood. Her wound is deep, but it will heal eventually."

"All physical wounds will heal," Dino said, frowning at the floor. "But what about her emotional wounds? If Squalo is here, then that means _he_ is here, too! I don't want to see Yocchan back to the state she was in right before she left Italy…"

Listening to the conversation from aside, Tsuna could not hold it in anymore. "Can someone please explain to me what's going on? What are those rings that the long-hair stole? And why does Yotsuba-chan seem to know him?"

"The proper name of that is the Half Vongola Rings. It's a treasure of the Vongola Family that is supposed to be stored in a selected place until three years later," Reborn explained. "In the long Vongola history, it is not known how much blood has been shed for these rings."

"Heeeeee!" Tsuna shrieked, backing away. "Well, good thing that the long-hair took them!"

"But guess what, Tsuna?" Dino said with a cheeky grin. A bad feeling overcame Tsuna. "I have the rings right here!"

Tsuna gawked at the box that Dino held out, and even Reborn was surprised.

"But I thought they were stolen!"

"These are the real ones! The ones Squalo took are fake!" Dino said, "I was told to give them to you, Tsuna!"

"Why me?!" Tsuna exclaimed. "I…I have to go home and study for prep classes! See you later, Dino-san!"

"Wait, Tsuna!"

Tsuna dashed out the door before Dino could catch him. Although he felt bad for just running away and leaving Yotsuba and Basil, he really didn't want to get into this mess. He didn't want to see anymore bloodshed; he's already seen enough from Yotsuba.

----------

_Ah… it's so warm…_

Yotsuba felt like she was wrapped up in a huge silk blanket. She wriggled around and stuffed her face, smelling the soft, floral scent. She smiled a bit, but soon realized that it couldn't be real. Her arm was almost sliced in half by Squalo a while ago, so how could she feel so comfortable right now? She must be dreaming.

Yotsuba reluctantly opened her eyes, only to find out that her "blanket" was no other than her usual dream-visitor, Mukuro.

"Mukuro!" she gasped, jumping out of his arms.

"Why so shy, my little clover?" Mukuro smirked. "You were clinging onto me just then!"

Yotsuba blushed. "I… never mind."

Mukuro only smiled. Gently, he ran his fingers across the slightly risen, new muscle and skin grown on her deep wound. Yotsuba shivered at the touch. She had forgotten that the wound was so deep. _It'll definitely be a scar, I'm guessing._ She touched her own arm.

"Only among mafias…" Mukuro spoke darkly, "…would people of the same Family harm each other. You knew him in the past, am I wrong? And he still cut you so deeply. Even now, you still want to protect the mafia?"

"It wasn't his fault!" Yotsuba said quickly. "I mean… everyone has some faults. And I know that they came to Japan with bad intentions, but… they used to be good people. There were misunderstandings…"

Mukuro stared at her quietly for a while, and then sighed inwardly. "When are you going to stop making excuses for other people…?"

_Even…for me…_

Yotsuba smiled sadly. "I can't stop. I love them too much…"

Mukuro was silent. His heart cringed, for what reason he did not know. _Love…eh?_ Somewhere deep in his mind, he wanted to be a part of them. He wanted to be under that "love", too. Now, he was getting a bit scared of his own thoughts. Shaking away those weird feelings, he chuckled. _Who needs sympathy from the mafia?_

"Well, if you didn't care so much, you wouldn't be the little clover I know," Mukuro said. "Take care of my precious little girl, will you?"

With that, Mukuro disappeared in the fog.

Yotsuba stared at the place that Mukuro last stood. "…………Who?"

----------

"How is she?"

"She's healing just like Romario said she is. She should be waking up anytime soon."

"Che, stupid woman should've just stayed out of this!"

"Gokudera-kun! Yotsuba-chan is already hurt! Don't say mean things like that!"

"Ah! Sorry, Juudaime!"

"Maa… to hurt a little girl this much, that long-hair is really a bastard!"

_Ah… so noisy! _Yotsuba slowly opened her eyes. Five faces appeared in front of hers, all looking at her with worried eyes. Now that she's awake, she could feel the pain in her arm. The new skin had just started growing, so too much movement still hurts. Nonetheless, she sat up to show her visitors that she was in good health.

"How many stitches?"

"You don't want to hear it," Dino said, a bit jokingly but seriously.

Yotusba sighed. "I'm sorry, Tsuna-kun. I wasn't strong enough after all…"

"Don't say that, Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna exclaimed. "To be able to survive… I'm already glad for that!"

Yotsuba looked at Tsuna and smiled. Tsuna's kindness always seems to touch her heart. Just then, she noticed something strange with her hand. It was closed in a fist, and she felt something in there. She held her fist in front of her and everyone else, and opened it. It was half of a ring.

"Heeeee!! Yotsuba-chan has one, too?!" Tsuna shrieked.

"Too?" Yotsuba repeated. "You guys have one, too?"

Yamamoto and Gokudera held up both of theirs.

"I don't even know how I got this…" Yotsuba frowned.

"Neither do we…"

"It seems like Mikami is chosen, also!" Reborn said as he jumped down onto Yotsuba's lap. "The Vongola Rings belong to the eight core members of the Family and are passed on as a proof of one belonging to the Vongola Family. In every generation, the eight core members will have to take on the eight rights, that's the rule."

Tsuna was outraged. He never asked to be a part of this, and everything was getting too confusing. However, Gokudera seemed more hyped about this than anyone else.

"Juudaime," Gokudera said in a slightly shaky voice. "I FEEL EXTREMELY HONORED!"

Approving Gokudera's excitement, Reborn continued, "Gokudera's ring is the 'Ring of Storm', Yamamoto's is the 'Ring of Rain', and Mikami's is the 'Ring of Snow'."

It was then that they noticed that the rings were different. Yamamoto and Gokudera thought that they were kind of cool, and so does Yotsuba. _Ring of Snow…_ she studied the ring. _I am… worthy of this ring?_ Somehow, she felt slightly happy that she was chosen. While the others were thinking that the rings were cool, Tsuna was complaining about them, saying that they were like weather forecasts.

"It is said that the first boss was like the sky that colors and engulfs everything. Thus, his ring was the 'Ring of the Sky.'" Reborn explained. "And his followers who became his protectors were portrayed with the kinds of weather that colored the sky."

Despite of Tsuna's objections, Yamamoto and Gokudera were pumped to go through trainings to transform themselves. Not because of the cool rings, but because of the humiliations they received the day before. Everything was going as planned.

"The remaining four other guardians also have to go through training," Reborn said calmly. "Or else they won't be able to beat the Varia!"

"Wait!!" Tsuna shouted. "Who are the other four, anyway?!"

"They're all people you know very well." Reborn said as he put on an elephant-boxer costume. "The one with the 'Ring of the Sun' will be coming soon."

"Eh?"

"Mater PaoPao!" Ryohei's hyped up voice traveled into the room.

Tsuna gawked. _Kyoko's brother is involved, too?!_ Being the usual Tsuna, he tries to talk Ryohei out of it. However, Ryohei has never really listened to anyone seriously. Except for Kyoko, maybe. Then, Reborn's pacifier began to glow.

"It seems like Sasagawa Ryohei's trainer is here!"

"Hey, it's been a while!"

Tsuna tensed at the voice. He'd heard it before. Tsuna and Yotsuba looked toward the window where the voice came from. A blonde baby in camouflage uniform was being carried in by a hawk.

"Colonello!" Tsuna screamed. "Why is he here?!"

"Right now, we're short on time, so I can't train everyone," Reborn said. "That's why for everyone with a ring, I've arranged a personal home tutor."

"Wha…?!"

Ignoring Tsuna's yapping, Colonello walked up to Ryohei, who's been waiting anxiously. "This is the boxing kid you told me about?"

"That's me!" Ryohei said energetically.

Colonello poked Ryohei's chest and abdomen with his shotgun. "Hey! Is he really that weak?"

"Yeah, out of the eight chosen members of the Family, he's currently the weakest one." Reborn replied.

Colonello smiled challengingly. "Hey, looks like you found me an interesting one! If he can keep up with my training the next ten days, he can beat the seven others! It's hellish training, though. Hey, you want to do it?"

Ryohei fastened his fists. "Of course I do! I won't lose!"

As fast as lightning, the two hot-blooded men ran out of the hospital and began their training. The room was suddenly filled with silence as only Tsuna, Reborn, Dino, and Yotsuba were left.

"Well," Dino broke the silence. "I'll go and train one, too!"

"Eh?! Dino-san, you're tutoring someone, too?"

Yotsuba suddenly looked up worriedly.

"Yeah, since this case is a problem with alliance, I can't fight along." Dino said apologetically. "This is all I can do for you."

"Well, Gokudera and Yamamoto will probably find their own suitable home tutor," said Reborn as he led them toward the door. "I guess we're all done here! Let's go!"

"Wa—wait!" Yotsuba called out, worry written all over her face. "If… if Dino is training someone else, then who is going to train me?!"

"Your trainer will come along soon," Reborn said, turning away uncaringly.

"Oi, Reborn! Don't just leave Yotsuba-chan like this!" Tsuna tried to make Reborn stay, but earned himself a kick in the head instead. The five-year-old dragged Tsuna out of the hospital.

Dino soon followed behind them, looking back at Yotsuba apologetically. "Sorry, Yocchan, I gotta go!"

The three of them left the hospital in an instant. The hospital room was quiet and only the ticking of the clock could be heard. It took a while for the fact that she'd been left behind to sink in. She frowned; that was so unfair! She was happy for being chosen as one of the guardians, but what's with not having a trainer? She couldn't go back to Hibari because Dino is training him, so who is she left with? She hadn't felt angry for quite a while. Out of frustration, she tore up her bandage and punched the pillow. Feathers flew up in the air with each strike.

"…………Ouch…" Yotsuba whimpered between big breaths. The sudden movement made her new-grown skin sting again.

"That's not the way to train now, is it?" A deep, male voice alerted Yotsuba from the window.

Yotsuba jerked her body around to find the man sitting on the windowsill, carrying a shovel on his shoulder. Her eyes widened. "Sawada Iemitsu?"

"Long time no see, Yocchan!" Tsuna's father grinned cheekily.

"No way…" Yotsuba gaped. "You are my home tutor?"

"What? You are not satisfied?"

"But what about Basil-kun?"

"He's going to train with Tsuna," Iemitsu said. "Meanwhile, I'm going to make you strong so _that_ doesn't happen again!"

Iemitsu pointed at Yotsuba's injured arm. She blushed a little from embarrassment, but Iemitsu gave her an assuring, warm smile.

"You've grown a lot stronger over this past year and a half," he approached her. "But I think it's about time that you get a weapon of your own!"

"A…weapon?" Yotsuba looked at Iemitsu quizzically.

"A pair, actually!" Iemitsu grinned as he held out a pair of shiny guns. One black and one white like checker pieces. "Saa, take them!"

Yotsuba frowned at the guns. She looked up at Iemitsu unwillingly. "Iemitsu-san, you know I can't… these guns, they're like _his_! Something as violent as guns… I can't take them!"

"These guns are special, Yocchan!" Iemitsu said. "Besides, who said you have to be like _him_ to use these guns?"

Iemitsu pushed the guns toward the unsure girl. Staring at the guns a few moments longer, Yotsuba finally took the guns in her hands with a gulp. The guns were quite small and the grip was just right for her hands. She thought about it, and maybe guns were perfect for her since she wasn't so strong physically. But… these life-taking weapons… can she really handle them?

"Saa…" Iemitsu said as he patted Yotsuba on the shoulder. "Let's make you and those babes become one!"

Yotsuba let out a breath. She couldn't think it about that much now. All she knows is that she needed to get stronger. And she wasn't going to become like _him_, not in a million years.

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Teehee, so I made Yotsuba a guardian also. Guardian of Snow, I know, it's been used, but I just had to. This also means that I'm going to make a Guardian of Snow for Varia. But it won't be too much because she's going to be a total bXXXX villain so I don't care if everyone hates her! And yes, it's a woman! Female vs. female is so exciting, isn't it? Just kidding, I have nothing against girls.

Anypoo, please review, guys! I love you all!


	26. Dream Reader

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 26: Dream Reader **

----------

_Bang!_ A direct hit in the head. _Bang!_ Another hit in the chest. Shots after shots, Yotsuba hasn't stopped shooting at the dummies that Iemitsu had prepared for her for hours. It's been like this for three days already. For a person like Yotsuba, to be able to concentrate for that long is quite amazing. But it might be because of the mood that she's in. Iemitsu had only taught her a few techniques in gun-handling, and already ran off somewhere, not even telling her where he went. Out of frustration, Yotsuba started taking it out on the dummies. Surprisingly, the black gun is very easy to use.

"Oh! I see that you're doing quite well!"

Yotsuba turned around to see Iemitsu standing there with his cheeky grin. She raised an eyebrow and huffed. "Yeah, I'm pretty good at learning _by myself!_ Where were you this whole time?!"

Iemitsu scratched the back of his head. "I was checking up on all the other guardians!"

As Iemitsu walked toward the dummies, Yotsuba was fuming up again, but she kept quiet. Iemitsu picked up the dummies and examined them. His face expression was full of surprise.

"You shot the bull's eye with each shot!" Iemitsu complimented. "I knew you would do well with guns! You have great hand-eye coordination from all those years of Aikidou already!"

Yotsuba blushed a little bit from the compliments, feeling happier about the training.

"But you're shooting at all the wrong places."

"Huh?" Yotsuba blinked. "But… you said…"

"Yeah, bull's eye to kill the person!" Iemitsu said. "Yocchan, these guns are not for you to kill."

Yotsuba was more and more confused. "I… I don't understand…"

Iemitsu smiled. "You will understand soon enough. From now on, you're aiming to damage as least surface as possible."

Yotsuba raised her eyebrow. How was she going to defeat the Varia like that?

"You've never killed before, right?" Iemitsu said, "I don't think Tsuna would ever want any of you to kill."

With those words, Yotsuba suddenly understood. Shooting those dummies may be easy, but killing real people was something she has never done. _It would break Tsuna-kun's heart if I did, wouldn't it?_ She thought. And she probably wouldn't be able to do it, since _they_ were the enemy, after all.

Seeing that Yotsuba has understood, Iemitsu smiled. "Well, you just keep practicing! Rest a while when you need it. I'm going to go check on the others!"

"Wait!" Yotsuba tried to grab the tall man. "Don't just leave! At least teach me how to use this… this white gun! It doesn't even have bullets!"

But before she could reach him, Iemitsu was already gone. Sighing in frustration, Yotsuba decided to take a break. Who knew that Iemitsu could be such an irresponsible home tutor? Settling down next to a big tree, Yotsuba's eyelids became heavy. With the peaceful breeze and the sound of leaves swaying, she gradually entered into a deep slumber.

----------

It was a dimension colored in all black. All around her was burning fire. She was dreaming again, but she was confused. The atmosphere was filled with hatred, anger, and heavy murder intention. It couldn't have been Mukuro. She has never felt so much anger from Mukuro before. But if it weren't Mukuro, how could she be seeing this scenery in front of her?

Yotsuba squinted her eyes against the hot air and the brightness from the fire. Through the fire she could see a silhouette. She walked closer, and the fire seemed to part ways for her. The image that revealed in front of her eyes was nothing unfamiliar. A tall man stood there with a box in hand. His red eyes burned with wrath, and his face twisted.

"Fake…" The man spoke through gritted teeth. His anger was hinting to explode anytime. "Sawada Tsunayoshi… treasure the little time you get to live…"

Fire shot up in the dark sky. Yotsuba backed away. She has never felt so close to death before, and she ran as fast as she could.

---------

"Yocchan! Wake up!"

Yotsuba felt the rough skin of Iemitsu's big hand lightly slap her cheeks. Her eyes suddenly shot open, seeing a rather serious face. She panted and wiped off some of the sweat on her forehead and sat up. She was relieved that she was woken up, because that dream was becoming unbearable.

"Iemitsu-san!" Yotsuba said in a shaky voice. "I… I saw _him!_ In my dream… I… he found out! He wants to kill Tsuna! He…"

"Calm down!" Iemitsu said as he grabbed onto the girl's shoulders. "You saw him in your dream?"

Yotsuba nodded furiously.

"Ah… is that so…?" Iemitsu said; his grasp on Yotsuba's shoulders loosened. Letting out a breath, he started to laugh lightheartedly. Yotsuba raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like what Shamal said about your disease were true…" Iemitsu muttered. "Yocchan, your sleeping problem is not just a disease. Something is awakening inside of you!"

Yotsuba stared at Iemitsu confusedly. "What do you mean?"

"We'll have to test it out very soon," Iemitsu said excitedly. "But first, you should come with me to a place!"

"What?" Yotsuba was getting more and more annoyed by the minute. _Iemitsu… why can't he ever be clear about something?!_

"It's time to put your training to use! And your friend needs our help!"

Yotsuba's attention was captured by the latter sentence. Without any more thoughts, she followed behind Iemitsu into the mountain.

----------

"Um… are we doing training here?" Yotsuba popped the question as the two of them moved deeper and deeper into the mountain.

"I told you, your friend needs our help!" Iemitsu said.

Yotsuba sighed. They've been walking in the mountain for so long that she'd forgotten what they came for. She wondered what could be wrong. Maybe it's one of Reborn's ridiculous trainings that Tsuna has to risk his life for again. As if on cue, an explosion was heard somewhere not far from where she and Iemitsu were standing.

"What?! What was that?!!" Yotsuba exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Iemitsu said, leading the girl to run toward the explosion.

Yotsuba almost couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her. For all this time, she thought all of her friends were training hard with their home tutors. However, the boy in front of her, Gokudera, was all by himself and covered in injuries. It seems like he was trying to train himself, and he was too hard-headed and hurt himself.

"That idiot!" Yotsuba gasped.

From a few feet away, Gokudera slowly got up shakily. Even with all his wounds, he grabbed more bombs out of his jacket, seemingly wanting to continue. At such a close distance, Yotsuba could hear the struggles in his breathing.

"I'll do it… and find out what Shamal was able to see," Gokudera murmured. "Even if my body perishes…"

Yotsuba's heart wrenched upon hearing that. She watched as Gokudera barely stood up and lit his bombs. But without even making two steps, Gokudera's legs gave out. The lighted bombs fell from his grasp and he wasn't able to move another muscle.

"Gokudera-kun!!" Yotsuba exclaimed. _Gokudera is going to die!!_

"Go!" Iemitsu gave Yotsuba a push on the back, "show me what you could do with the _Pistole Monocromatiche_!!"

Out of instinct, Yotsuba raised the black gun in her hand. Her eyes opened wide and with four quick shots, the bombs were shot into pieces before they could explode.

"What…?" Gokudera muttered at the incredible scene in front of him.

"Gokudera-kun!" Yotsuba ran out from the woods into the clearing where Gokudera laid.

Iemitsu's mouth opened slightly. He was surprised that Yotsuba actually shot the bombs accurately. It was a dangerous bet, but he'd won. Iemitsu smiled. _Reborn, you sure found some great Family members for Tsuna!_

Yotsuba ran to Gokudera's side, who gaped at her incredulously. "You! What are you doing here?!"

Without saying anything first, Yotsuba swung her right fist into Gokudera's nose. Because the attack was too surprising and Gokudera was already lightheaded, the swing became a direct punch. Gokudera's hand shot up to his nose, and blood dripped down in between his fingers.

"Stupid woman! What the hell was that for?!"

"Oh, now it hurts?!" Yotsuba fumed. "If life is something that you can just brush off your shoulder, then I can kill you right now! Saying things like you're not afraid to die…… It's not funny!"

Gokudera was speechless toward Yotsuba's words. Her face was bright red along with her shrilly voice. The girl grabbed onto his collars and pulled him up, anger and sympathy sparkled in her eyes.

"You're always saying that you're going to protect Tsuna-kun," Yotsuba continued, "But how are you going to do it if your own head is blown off?! And to think that… Tsuna-kun… and all of others… are training so hard so none of us would get hurt…"

It was unbelievable; their faces were so close that Gokudera could see water threatening to leak out of her eyes. As if just noticing the moistness of her eyes, the girl blinked and turned her head quickly. Letting go of his collar, Yotsuba ran back into the woods. Leaving a "Stupid Octopus-head!" as she disappeared between the trees.

"_I wish I was brave like you. And always there to protect Tsuna-kun. Unlike me, I always stood at the sideline, not doing anything to protect my treasures."_

…………_but you've protected me today…_

"_Haven't you heard that if you want to cheer someone up, you've got to be cheerful yourself?"_

"_If you're trying to scold me, you shouldn't be smiling, Hayato-kun!"_

Gokudera held up his hand in front of his face. He studied the cuts and blood that covered his whole palm. And, using the back of his hand that's a little bit cleaner, he wiped his bloody nose.

"What I couldn't see was… my own life…" he muttered.

"Gokudera-kun!!" Tsuna's voice lit up the whole atmosphere.

"Ju…Juudaime!" Gokudera jumped up suddenly, red in the face. "You were watching the whole thing?! How embarrassing! You showed up at a pathetic moment!"

"Yeah, you really are pathetic and reckless," said Shamal, who appeared from the trees also.

Gokudera's eyebrows furrowed. "Shamal…"

"Heal your own wounds since I don't care for men," Shamal said, "Geez. Do you know how many girls I could've hit on in ten days instead?"

"Eh? Does that mean…"

"You will train me?" Gokudera asked.

"Next time you act recklessly like that," Shamal warned, "I'll take out the life you don't want!"

Gokudera looked to the side. "Hmph. Even if you don't, that stupid woman would do it herself!"

"Oh yeah, Yocchan was here!" Shamal swooned with hearts in his eyes. "If it weren't for you, I could've flirted with her!"

"Don't be disgusting, you ero-doctor!"

"Yotsuba-chan… I wonder who she's training with…" Tsuna said. "Although I have to admit, the way she punched Gokudera-kun seemed a bit like Hibari-san… I knew she was spending too much time with him."

----------

"Iemitsu-san… what kind of training is this?"

Yotsuba watched Iemitsu confusedly as he set up two sets of futon on the ground.

"We're going to test out your ability!" said Iemitsu.

"What ability?" Yotsuba raised an eyebrow. "I don't have any ability."

"Like I said, something is awakening inside of you, Yocchan!" Iemitsu said with a wide smile, and crawled into the futon himself. "Get in, Yocchan!"

Reluctantly, Yotsuba got into the other set of futon.

"Now, once you and I fall asleep, start thinking about me!" With that said, Iemitsu pulled the cover over his head and closed his eyes.

"Wait, what?!" Yotsuba exclaimed, trying to wake Iemitsu up. Unfortunately, the elder man has already fallen asleep and was snoring like a beast.

_Sometimes I wonder if he has my disease, too…_ Yotsuba thought. Sighing in exasperation, she also lied on her back, pulling the cover over her chest. For a person like Yotsuba, she fell asleep whenever she wanted to. Before she gave into her slumber, she called Sawada Iemitsu over and over in her head.

And there it was—another dream. Except this time it wasn't the clover field or the dark space, it was a room colored in fluffy orange. And then something extraordinary happened. Faces popped out in the room. What's incredible was that all the faces were of the same person—Nana, Tsuna's mom! There were pictures of her laughing, smiling, cooking, sleeping, and everything else possible. Yotsuba gawked at the scene in front of her. She was getting overwhelmed by the smiling faces of Nana as Nana's sweet voice appeared in the background.

"Honey, it's dinner time~"

"I'm coming, Nana!"

Yotsuba looked over to Iemitsu's voice. He looked as if he was drunk and he was skipping all over the place. Cold sweat gathered at Yotsuba's forehead. Yotsuba didn't know that one could be so overwhelmed by sweetness and love and all the fluff that she was feeling in the moment.

"WHAT IS THIS?!" Yotsuba screamed as she woke up. She looked to the side where Iemitsu slept, with a trail of drool running down his chin.

"Nana…" he murmured in his sleep.

Out of frustration, she flipped the futon over so that Iemitsu rolled out of it, finally waking up.

"Oh, you're up already, Yocchan?" asked Iemitsu as he yawned. "So what did you see?"

"Nana-san…" Yotsuba replied. "There was nothing else but Nana-san!"

Iemitsu's eyes lit up. "So I was right about your sleeping problem! Yocchan, you're a dream reader!"

"A dream what?" Yotsuba repeated.

"You can read other people's dreams when you're asleep, Yocchan!" Iemitsu said as he patted Yotsuba's back. "Haven't you noticed that you're always able to sense strange things in your dreams?"

Suddenly, it clicked in Yotsuba's head. That's right, she's always been able connect with someone else's emotions in her dreams. All those times that she talked to Mukuro in her dream, and all those times that voices were heard during the Kokuyou Battle. Yotsuba's eyes widened at this realization.

"_I just wanted to know why you showed me… that horrible place…"_

"_I didn't. You were the one that was searching, remember?"_

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Ah, sorry for the late update! Please look in my profile to see a full-colored picture of Yotsuba that I've drawn! And lasty, please review!


	27. The Reunion

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 27: The Reunion**

***This chapter is told in Yamamoto's POV.**

----------

People always say "give more than one hundred percent for whatever you do." For a person like me, who isn't good at anything but baseball, it has been a while since I've become serious about something other than baseball. At that time, I didn't know why I felt so horrible over the defeat by that long-hair. But now, I know. It wasn't that the long-hair took the game too far and harmed Tsuna, nor was it because he almost killed Yotsuba-chan, but because I hated that taste of defeat. To be defeated so easily and having to be protected by a girl like Yotsuba-chan, I hated it.

It's a new feeling, because I've never taken a loss so seriously before. I mean, I know that it's all a game. But losing to guy who uses the same style of weapon as me because of inexperience, I just can't take it as a good sport. And that is the reason why I'm holding this wooden sword with the same passion I hold for a bat.

"If you train without giving up, then you will find the answer you seek by yourself."

That was what my old man said to me. Over the next few days, I think I've found my answer.

----------

It was a cloudless night when a bunch of guys dressed in black ambushed Tsuna and some of the kids staying at his house. Seeing that another game has begun, I hurried there to help out. So did Gokudera, and Sasagawa-senpai. Those guys in black were easy to defeat, and we thought that it was over until a man much more powerful appeared before us.

He was a man with menacing sharp eyes and piercings on his face. He claimed to be coming after Tsuna's little cow-suit kid. And soon, a few others dressed in similar black leather suits joined him. There was a man with blonde hair covering his eyes and a tiara in his hair, a little baby with his face covered with a black hood, a man with green-colored hair, a girl with curly blue hair in pigtails, and a robot-like creature hovering in the back.

Just like the little kid said, an overwhelming power could be sensed from these people so called "Varia". And then he stepped out from behind.

"Heeeyyy!! How dare you trick me?" It was the long-hair from before, looking as blood-thirsty as always. "Which one of you wields the Ring of Rain?"

Something tugged at my heart for a split second. "Me."

The long-hair's lips curled up into a belittling smirk. "Oh, it's you! Three seconds. I'll slice you up in three seconds!"

Anger boiled inside of me. The image of Yotsuba-chan's injured arm suddenly showed up in my head. The man who mercilessly sliced up a little girl's arm… he really was taking this game too far.

And lastly, a man who is seemingly their leader stepped out from behind. The air was suddenly heavier due to his presence. I looked at Gokudera and Tsuna beside me, who had the same kind of expression as I did. Fear and awe. The man had such madness in his eyes that seemed like they could tear you apart. And the many scars on his face added to his malice. Under his glare, I couldn't even move a muscle.

"Xanxus," the little kid had said his name was.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi…" the man named Xanxus said slowly, gathering energy into his hand.

"This is bad. Run!" The little kid said.

It was the first time that I've felt panic like this before. And yet, none of us could move our legs. The heavy atmosphere seemed to press us down.

_Bang!_ The energy gathered in Xanxus's hand suddenly disappeared. All we could see was a hole on the ground near Xanxus's feet with smoke coming up into the air. As the smoke faded, a shiny black bullet could be seen left in the hole.

"That's enough, Xanxus-niisama."

All heads turned toward the familiar female voice, and we saw Yotsuba-chan standing not far away from the Varia with a golden-haired man and the young kid named Basil. With a black gun in hand, we knew that it was Yotsuba-chan who shot the bullet. All of us were shocked like no other. I took a glance at the members of the Varia, who had the same shocked expression as any of us. Especially the man named Xanxus, he looked even angrier than before.

"Xanxus," the man behind Yotsuba-chan stepped to the front. "From here on, I'll take charge of things!"

"D-Dad?!" Tsuna exclaimed beside me. "And Yotsuba-chan?! You… you said 'niisama'… so you mean, that scary man is your brother?!"

Yotsuba-chan's gaze never left the Varia. "Yes, Tsuna-kun, we're not blood-related, but I am Xanxus's sister."

All of us were surprised. Especially Gokudera, who seemed to overreact and cannot accept that fact. I looked toward Xanxus, who stared at Yotsuba sternly.

"You…" he spoke slowly. "You joined forces with this little trash?"

Yotsuba frowned at the word "trash", but nodded nonetheless.

"Ah, Princess! You were here in Japan the whole time?" The man with the tiara exclaimed, his wide grin widening at an impossible length.

"Prince…"

"Yocchan! You disappeared for so long!" The man with green hair said in a sickening voice.

"Lussu-nee…"

I looked toward the long-hair, who frowned at Yotsuba-chan's appearance with an unreadable expression. All this is making me feel really confused.

Xanxus is Yotsuba-chan's brother, and he is our enemy? And why does Yotsuba-chan seem to be on such good terms with the Varia? If they knew each other in the past, then why do Yotsuba-chan's eyes look so sad?

"Yes, I've come to Japan. And Tsuna-kun is not trash; he is the Vongola Decimo."

Xanxus narrowed his eyes at Yotsuba-chan. I tightened my grip at my katana. It wasn't comprehendible for me. For two people with such differences to be siblings. The feeling that Xanxus gives is an overwhelming murderous intent, and Yotsuba-chan gives off a feeling of… Eh? What kind of aura does Yotsuba-chan give off? I don't know how to explain it, but it's the exact opposite of Xanxus…

Tsuna's dad then began to explain about being an outside adviser, and something about the Ninth's order. And then some girls that look the same with pink hair came about and declared themselves as the "Cervello", who are going to observe the battles that we're going to have. It was something called the Ring Battles, but it was all too confusing and I kinda spaced out. All I know is that the people who wield the same rings are going to fight one-on-one. Despite Tsuna's dad's suspicion toward this whole thing and Tsuna's worry about the dangers, I feel quite excited.

"The battles are scheduled to begin tomorrow night at 11. The location is Namimori Junior High."

With that, the Cervello girls disappeared into the night. Everyone was quiet and the two sides stared at each other. Xanxus and Yotsuba-chan said nothing to each other; even I was feeling awkward for them. So Clearly, Yotsuba-chan isn't too fond of her big brother. I wonder what happened. But no matter what it is, I know that Yotsuba-chan is on our side.

After a while, Yotsuba-chan finally broke away from the silence and turned toward us. She smiled at us, and before I knew it, I was smiling too. She took a step toward us, but a flash of blackness appeared behind her. It was Xanxus, and he grabbed onto Yotsuba-chan's wrist before she realized.

"Xanxus-niisama…" Yotsuba doesn't seem to be afraid. Instead, she seemed indecisive, but I don't know what about.

"You're fighting in the Ring Battles?"

"Yes…"

"Show me your ring."

Yotsuba frowned, but showed Xanxus her ring nonetheless. Something flashed in his eyes. "Ring of Snow…"

"Ring of Snow?!" the girl belonging to the Varia suddenly screeched. Everyone turned their heads toward the blue-haired girl. "I have to fight against that little brat?! I can kill her easier than killing an ant!"

"Watch what you're saying, Malvolia."

"I don't need your warning, _Mammon_! I don't give a damn if she's Boss's sister or not. If she can't even make it in the Varia back then, then she's not worthy of being the Snow Guardian!"

"Shut up, Malvolia, you're making it a big deal!"

"Squalo, you're the one that always spoils her! You probably think clinging onto her can make you closer to Boss!"

"Oooii!! How many pieces do you want to be cut up into, damn woman?!"

"Shut up, trash!" Xanxus suddenly growled, looking back at the bickering members. "Who's worthy of wielding the ring… we'll see in the battles."

All of us were quiet, and I'm sure that Tsuna and Gokudera were as confused as I was. But I was relieved when Xanxus finally let go of Yotsuba-chan's wrist. Instantly, Yotsuba-chan returned to our side. Looking back at Xanxus once more, he only glared at us hard and left without another word. With him leaving, the air suddenly became lighter and we were all able to relax our muscles.

"Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna was first to speak. "You never told us anything about the Varia! And… I can't believe that scary man is your brother!"

"I can't believe it, either!" Yotsuba smiled. But somehow I knew that she wasn't happy when she smiled. "It doesn't matter what happened in the past. They're my enemy now… and I'll always be on Tsuna-kun's side."

"Yotsuba-chan…" Tsuna frowned at what Yotsuba-chan said, and so did I. Has her determination brought her this far?

"We have a long day tomorrow. You guys should all go home and get some rest." The little kid broke the silence as he jumped onto Tsuna's shoulder. All of us agreed and parted our ways.

As I made my way in the direction of the sushi shop, I felt two very different feelings. One was the excitement of being able to have a rematch with the long-hair. And another was confusion toward Yotsuba-chan. During the last few peaceful months, I thought that I was getting to know her more and that she was becoming more like a normal girl. And yet, these Varia members showed up and mystery surrounded her again.

I looked behind me. Yotsuba has not moved from her spot even though everyone dispersed, and she was looking at the place where the Varia disappeared with an unreadable expression. It must be hard for her to have an older brother like that. Thinking about it now, what that girl named Malvolia said… does that mean Yotsuba-chan wanted to be a part of Varia before? This is all too confusing for me.

Maa, I won't get anywhere no matter how much I think on it, anyway! After all, it's good enough that she said she would be on our side! Tomorrow, the games begin, and I'll be there to fight with all my might and cheer the others on!

Man, it's so exciting!

----------

TBC.

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A/N: This chapter turned out to be kind of short, but don't worry! An uber long chapter is coming your ways! Trying to put more than just Yotsuba's point of view in the story… I hope I didn't butcher Yamamoto's character that much. Well, please review!


	28. Brothers

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 28: Brothers**

-----YOTSUBA POV-----

"_Hey, that kid Xanxus found out…"_

"_He found out? How?"_

"_Said he read it in Ninth's diary."_

"_That poor kid… he must be heartbroken…"_

_Ever since that day, the Niichan I used to know disappeared. The day that he found out that Daddy wasn't really our Daddy, and that he wasn't the direct next-in-line for the Vongola Decimo. Ever since that day, anger never left Niichan's eyes. Daddy became delirious. I knew that it was partly Daddy's fault that Niichan became this way, but it's unreasonable for Niichan not to understand. And I, being in the middle of two people I love, failed to protect either of them in the end._

"_Niichan, who is that?" The big boy with silver hair next to you._

"_No one. Now scram!"_

"_Niichan is a meanie!" I pouted, but ran away as you told me to. _

_I watched the two big boys from afar. The boy with silver hair looked at Niichan with admiration. I thought that Niichan made a new friend, and he was finally going to become the nice Niichan again. But I was wrong. That was the day that Niichan became an entirely different person. _

_On the next day, Niichan became the new leader of the Varia. _

-----NORMAL POV-----

The memory of last night almost seemed unreal to Yotsuba. It had been a year and a half since Yotsuba last saw her brother Xanxus. She knew that this day would come eventually, but the mysterious Cervello girls troubled her. It doesn't seem like the Ninth to make unnecessary battle. In her mind, she knew that the Varia had something to do with this, but she could only go with the "Ninth's" orders. If Xanxus did anything to harm the Ninth, she wouldn't forgive him. But… what could she do, anyway?

Yotsuba looked through her apartment window and saw the top of Namimori Junior High a few blocks down. The Ring Battles start today, and her heart was pounding fast. Undoubtedly, she has been able to control the black gun quite well. However, she still hasn't found out how to use the white gun. No matter how many times she asked Iemitsu, he wouldn't teach her how to use it. But at this rate, she'd just have to fight Malvolia with what she has.

_That Malvolia… she's always hated me…_ Yotsuba thought. And she still remembers the way that Malvolia kills in the past, and she has never seen crueler ways. She shivered from the thought and plopped down onto her bed.

"Mukuro…" she muttered. "How come I can't find you anymore?"

Yotsuba has been trying to find Mukuro in her sleep for quite a while. For some reason, she thought that it would comfort her a bit to see Mukuro again before the battles. But no matter how much she tried, she could not reach him.

"Hmph! Why did I think he could comfort me, anyway?" Yotsuba pouted. After a few more tries, she finally gave up, and decided to walk around outside.

Yotsuba left the apartment building and walked the opposite way of school. She has already missed a quarter of school, so she decided to not go at all. She walked and walked aimlessly in the shopping district, hoping to calm her own nerves. But in just ten minutes, she felt someone following her. Although the person hides quickly, she was able to see some movements.

_Who could it be…? Malvolia? _Yotsuba thought. Cautiously, she started walk faster and faster, and the follower fastened as well. Calculating the right timing, Yotsuba started to run. As expected, the follower started to run also. After taking some turns, she felt the person getting closer to her in distance, and she stopped running abruptly, turning around. Due to the sudden stop, the mysterious person crashed into her, making both of them fall to the ground.

"Ow… who are you?!" Yotsuba groaned as she sat up, surprised to see that the person was only a young, scrawny girl.

"I… I…" The girl stuttered, looking at Yotsuba nervously. Then Yotsuba noticed it—the familiar pineapple hairstyle that she's always seen.

"_Take care of my precious little girl, will you?"_

Yotsuba remembered Mukuro's words. Was this girl who Mukuro was talking about? There shouldn't be any mistakes. The same hairstyle, the Kokuyou uniform, and the eye patch on the right eye all lead to one person.

"Are you… related to Rokudou Mukuro somehow?"

The girl seemed to blush. "I… my name is Chrome Dokuro… Mukuro-sama wanted me to look after you and protect you…"

_Protect me?_ "Oh… is that so? Well, my name is…"

"Yotsuba-sama. I know…"

"Ah… um, well, the 'sama' is not needed…" Yotsuba scratched the back of her head. "But where is Mukuro? If you're able to communicate with him…"

The girl blushed again and seemed to be hesitant. Yotsuba blinked. "It's okay if you don't want to say it. I don't want to know, anyway!"

Yotsuba turned to leave, but the girl named Chrome quickly followed. "Are… are you mad, Yotsuba-sama?"

"Why would I be mad," Yotsuba said. "at someone who's been totally avoiding me, and now sends someone to 'look after' me so that he doesn't have to face me himself?!"

_She's definitely mad…_ Chrome thought. "Yotsuba-sama, Mukuro-sama is not in the condition to face anyone right now! He can only talk to me through my mind."

"Hmm?" Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at the shy girl. "You're defending him. Are you his sister or something?"

"No, Mukuro-sama is my savior…" Chrome said as she lowered her head. Her expression was full of appreciation.

Yotsuba studied her for a while, but decided not to question her any further. "Well, I'm going to go my own way. I don't mind if you want to come, but don't follow behind me. It's creepy."

"Yes, Yotsuba-sama!"

"I told you to lose the 'sama!'"

"Y…yes, Yotsuba-san!"

"…………"

The two of them walked down the street silently. After a while, Chrome started to fall back and began to walk behind Yotsuba again. Letting out a frustrated grunt, Yotsuba started to turn around.

"Hey! I told you not to……"

Before Yotsuba could completely turn around, two hands grabbed her shoulders and forced her back. Turning her head as much as she could, she still only sees the hands, which, by the size, definitely did not belong to Chrome.

"Wha…what?"

"Let's not let curiosity kill the cat, shall we?" A deep, familiar voice replaced Chrome's, surprising Yotsuba just a little bit. Already having a feeling of what happened, she wasn't too shocked.

The two of them kept walking at that pace. Except this time, Yotsuba's steps felt light as feather.

"Nervous about the battles coming up?" Yotsuba felt the grasp of those hands on her shoulders tighten. "Don't worry. I'll be watching you from behind; I won't let you die somewhere out of my sight."

A gush of warmth filled her stomach. And the worries she had in the morning seemed to calm a bit. She felt the man behind her sigh softly.

"This body gets tired quite easily. I actually wanted to be here longer."

The hands on her shoulder lost their grip. Yotsuba quickly turned around, only to see Chrome's face staring at her with her big eyes.

"Mukuro…" Yotsuba muttered.

"Ah…" Chrome's face heated up. "It's almost time, Yotsuba-san, I shall be leaving!"

With that said, Chrome ran. Yotsuba watched until Chrome's shadow disappeared from her sight.

_That girl… I'll take care of her, Mukuro._

----------

The hands of the clock turned to eleven o'clock. It was a cloudless, dark night where even a few stars could be seen. The night would be enjoyable if there weren't such a violent event taking place at Namimori Junior High. The group of Varia and Tsuna's friends stood facing each other, with the Cerbello in the middle. The battle between the Guardians of the Sun was announced, and a boxing ring was prepared for the battle.

"The ring is my territory!" Ryohei exclaimed confidently.

Yotsuba looked to the side where Varia stood and found no sight of Xanxus. Because of this, she seemed to relax a bit. Watching the Varia members talk amongst themselves, she was starting to get some mixed feelings. _But I am with Tsuna now… I can't be swayed…_

Then, Yamamoto suggested forming a group circle. Despite the objections from Gokudera and Tsuna, Yamamoto and Ryohei grabbed everyone by force and formed a circle.

"RYOHEI! FIGHT-OH!"

With that, Ryohei seemed more pumped about the battle than before. Yotsuba watched as Ryohei made his way onto the ring. The feeling of Ryohei and Tsuna's arms on her shoulders still lingered and pressed down on her. And she watched Lussuria walk up to the ring, smiling confidently as always. _This sucks, _she thought, _I don't want either side to get hurt…_

The battles began, and Ryohei took off his shirt, ready to fight.

"Oh my!" Lussuria exclaimed. "You're body looks mighty fine up close! Looks like I'm taking you home today!"

"What did he just say?!" Tsuna made a disgusted face, and so did Gokudera.

However, Yotsuba could not help but smile a bit.

"_Oh! You are boss's little sister, am I right?"_

"_Yes, my name is Yotsuba, oniichan!"_

"_Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Call me neechan! Ah, Yocchan is a cute little girl! Neechan will buy you lots of dresses and ribbons, okay?"_

"_Okay, Lussu-nee!"_

But everything is in the past now, and she must stand strong on Tsuna's side. The battle started already unfairly to Ryohei's side, as bright lights shone down on the ring and blinding Ryohei. It seemed like a joke, but Ryohei didn't stand a chance against Lussuria's Muay Thai fighting style. For the first half of the battle, it was just Ryohei receiving all the hits. Finally, Ryohei was able to punch Lussuria up into the air.

"He got hit on purpose," Mammon said on the other side.

Lussuria then came back down toward Ryohei. Lussuria's knee made contact with Ryohei's fist, and in that instant, the bones in Ryohei's left arm has been broken.

"Oniisan!" Tsuna yelled, frowning at the blood that spewed out from the joint of Ryohei's forearm.

Ryohei breathed hard from dehydration, unable to stand up.

"Hey! Stand up!" A voice from above called to Ryohei.

Everyone turned their heads upward and saw the bright blue eyes of Colonello.

"Go show them your true strength, Ryohei!" said the Arcobaleno.

With those words, Ryohei stood back up. With a new found confidence, Ryohei was able to break the lights from above using his Maximum Canon, and was able to open his eyes finally. However, having just eyesight was not good enough. The skill and the time and the experience, Ryohei had far too short to go against Varia. Easily, Lussuria broke even his right hand.

Blood gushed out from both of Ryohei's arms. Yotsuba felt like her whole body was numb. _This is the Varia… _

"Oniisan!" A soft voice traveled from another direction.

All heads turned to see a very worried Kyoko along with her friend Hana.

"Kyoko-chan?!"

"Oniisan, stop! You promised you won't fight again!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"…….Yeah. When I cracked my forehead, I promised I would not fight again," said Ryohei as he slowly propped himself up. "But if you continue to cry like that, I… I won't lose!"

Yotsuba looked in awe at the determination in Ryohei's eyes. She wondered why she's never seen those kind of eyes from Xanxus.

"_Kyoko-chan… is Sasagawa-senpai a good brother?"_

"_Yes! I wouldn't want anyone else as my brother!" _

Victory was at reach. Ryohei shattered Lussuria's kneecap with a final blow, and Lussuria was finished. Same with Ryohei, who was exhausted.

"It was good battle," said Ryohei as he looked down at Lussuria with respect, "Now, give me the ring!"

"N-n-no!" Lussuria said quickly, forming a fake smile, "I can still fight! Even with one leg, I can still fight!"

"What persistence," Tsuna said in astonishment.

However, Reborn's eyes darkened. "That's not the reason."

Suddenly, Lussuria's body jerked. Eyes widened in an instant on Tsuna's side, as they saw dark red blood splash out of Lussuria's back and mouth. Lussuria fell face down to the floor, and his back was, well, almost gone. Standing behind him was the blue-haired Varia, who wore long, curvy claws in her hand. A bloody piece of muscle hung from the hook-like claws, and the red liquid ran down the shiny metal.

"Pathetic…" said Malvolia as she licked off some blood from her claws, smiling like a maniac. "And I always told him that stupid Muay Thai is useless. What's the fun in killing when the person is not covered in blood?"

"Erasing the weak," Reborn explained. "is the reason why Varia is so powerful. Those curved claws were probably designed so that once any skin is caught, there's no way to remove the claws unless the skin is ripped off."

"No… no way…" Tsuna muttered; fear clouding his eyes.

While Tsuna and the others were outraged by the Varia actions, the Cerbellos walked into the ring as if nothing big happened. They announced Ryohei as the winner of the Sun Battle, and pronounced the next battle, the Battle of Thunder. But none of it was heard in Yotsuba's ears.

_This is the end… I can't hide it anymore!_ The numb feeling was going away. _I met the members of Varia because of niisama… and they all treated me like family. Even if they're my enemy now… they weren't evil! They're not evil! I still… I still…_

"Lussu-nee…" she muttered, taking a step toward the fallen man, but her hand was pulled back by another. She looked back to see the stern eyes of Gokudera.

"……………."

What Gokudera said, pushed her down to the rock bottom.

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Oh my goodness. So I promised you guys a super long chapter, yet it turned out to be normal-length. I apologize deeply for that. It's because when I read it again, I thought the battle part was too long, and we've all read the manga anyway, so I made it shorter. Well, I leave you with a "kind-of" cliffhanger! Not really, but whatever. Please review!


	29. The Kidnapping

**In Their Story, Their was a Girl**

**Chapter 29: The Kidnapping**

*WARNING: Major change in the canon plot for this chapter!

-----YOTSUBA POV-----

"_Ne, Squalo, can I ask you a question?" _

"_What? Hurry up and ask! Can't you see I'm busy?!" said Squalo as he polished his sword._

"_How do you feel when you kill someone?" _

_Squalo stopped his motion. He looked at me with this strange expression. Not an annoyed face, but I know that sometimes Niichan looks at me like that too. "Why do you want to know?"_

_Because I want to be ready…_

"_Just asking," I said, sticking out my tongue. _

_Squalo seemed to be relieved. "Che, dumb question. Now, go away!"_

"_Then, how do you think it feels when you're being killed?"_

_This time, Squalo stared at me incredulously. "What's gotten into you today, brat?!"_

_I shrugged._

"_I'll just let you know that I'll never get to know how it feels, because I'm the greatest swordsman on this earth!"_

-----NORMAL POV-----

"_If you wish to go to their side, don't come back here at all."_

Gokudera's cold voice lingered inside Yotsuba's head throughout the next day. Even when it was the riskiest battle tonight, her feeling seems to be frozen. She'd saw it coming. She knew that trust would be thrown away if she stood in the middle of Varia and Tsuna. Ever since the day that Gokudera snapped at her about Hibari, she knew that he didn't trust her enough. And after knowing that she's the enemy's sister, their probably wasn't any trust left.

What's worst is that Yotsuba doesn't even know which side she stands on herself. Since the day that she ran away from Italy, to the time when she was wounded by Squalo, and even during the time that she trained with Iemitsu, she had a clear mind about standing by Tsuna's side. It was simple like that until the Varia actually came and reality dawned upon her. She wasn't ready to fight the people who were so close to her before. She could not see them as complete evil beings like Tsuna and the others can, because she can forgive them for being proud, and she can forgive them for "erasing the weak". Because she had seen more than what Tsuna and the others know about the Mafioso.

The rain was pouring at night and the Battle of Thunder was taking place at the roof. Electricity Conductor was set up all over the field. The lightning's heat pressed down on everyone, yet Yotsuba could not feel the danger like everyone else. Gokudera stood by Tsuna, at least five feet away from where she stood. She looked at him from the corner of her eye; he hasn't looked at her for the whole night.

"LAMBO! FIGHT-OH!"

The five-year-old Lambo went on to fight without knowing the dangers of the battle. Yotsuba didn't even need to watch, and she already what the outcome would be. Even with the Electrico Cuoio skin Lambo has, the young body cannot take the merciless attack from Levi.

"Uwahhh! It hurts!" Lambo cried.

However, Levi wasn't one to feel sympathy just because the opponent was a little kid. He struck Lambo again and again until blood and rain mixed together all over the little boy. Just as everyone screamed Lambo's name, he pulled out the Ten-Year Bazooka out of his hair and shot himself with it.

"I didn't think dumplings would be my last supper…" said the Lambo from ten years later as the pink smoke faded.

Everyone seemed to be relieved that the adult Lambo has appeared. But even with the skills of ten more years, Lambo still could not stand against Levi.

"You fool!" Levi belted out, "It is I who will win this battle and gain the praises from Boss!"

"Guahhh!"

Lambo was beaten and started crying. But out of everyone's surprise, adult Lambo grabbed the Ten-Year Bazooka that the child left behind, and shot himself once again. The atmosphere became quiet, and they waited for the person who will come out of the smoke. Suddenly, an overwhelming power appeared and pressed everyone down.

"It couldn't be…… Lambo from twenty years later?!" Tsuna exclaimed.

The man who walked out of the smoke was beyond imagined. The crybaby Lambo turned into a tall, messy-haired man who seemed to have experienced a lot more through the years. And no one can deny that he looked a lot more reliable than ten years ago. He looked back at Tsuna and the others and smiled.

"I didn't think I'd see any of you guys again," he said in a deep voice, "All your faces are so nostalgic…"

Lambo's eyes scanned each person standing by Tsuna, and they landed on one girl, who stood a little distance away from the rest of them. His eyes met Yotsuba's, who was looking back at him, and was taken back a bit. He seemed to be shocked to see her, and just as Yotsuba was wondering why, he frowned at her. Something stabbed at Yotsuba's heart as she saw this.

_What? Why? He smiled so softy at the sight of Tsuna and the others… why does he look at me like an enemy?_

Before Yotsuba could say anything, the battle resumed. And this time, Levi tasted the color of defeat for the first time in his life. The Lambo from twenty years later has perfected the Electrico Cuoio, and electricity was no harm toward him. Victory was at hand.

"Back down, or you will………" Lambo could not finish his sentence. Pink smoke surrounded the man with a boom, and the five-year-old Lambo returned to the present.

"Lambo!" Tsuna cried out. "He's not moving!"

To Levi, this was the perfect timing. Repaying for the humiliations earlier, Levi was ready to kill Lambo to pieces. Levi stomped his foot down mercilessly at Lambo. Blood spewed out from the tiny body. Repeatedly, Levi hit the unconscious boy, and Lambo's body swayed with the movement of Levi's attacks.

"Lambo! No!" Tsuna ran toward the field.

"Where do you think you're going?" said Reborn, "You'll be disqualified."

"I know, but I have to protect Lambo!" Tsuna turned around, worry field his eyes. "I don't care about the rings or successing the Vongola or anything like that! I just don't want my friends to get hurt in this battle!"

Yotsuba was struck. The pure intention of "wanting to save my friends" shone in Tsuna's bright copper eyes. Since when… did she forget the simple reason that she fought on Tsuna's side?

"_Yotsuba-chan can just be what she wants in front of us! It doesn't matter if you're not a princess… if Yotsuba-chan does everything with her utmost effort, we'll all look after you, ne!"_

"_Sou! Sou! All of us will be on your side!"_

"_A…ah! Since Juudaime already said that… I guess I'm on your side, too!"_

"_We thought since you weren't coming back to class, we should come accompany you for lunch! After all, you do live in Japan alone, right?"_

"_Yotsuba-chan! I made some gyoza for lunch today; do you want to try some?"_

"_These books are really good! If you get bored in here for the rest of the day, you can read these to pass time!"_

"Fighting not for the power or the victory, but for the sole purpose of protecting what's important to you…" Yotsuba muttered. "Stupid me. I've been thinking too much…"

Yotsuba grabbed Tsuna's wrist.

"Yotsuba-chan, what now? I have to save Lambo!"

"Wait, Tsuna-kun…" Yotsuba said softly. "Let me…"

"Eh?"

Then everything happened in a flash. Just as Levi was going to give Lambo the final strike, a bullet shot through his shoulder and his body jerked backwards. Everyone was shocked and looked toward where the bullet came from. Yotsuba stood there with her gun still raised, aiming at Levi.

"Y…You!!"

"Yes, it's me." Said Yotsuba as she aimed the gun at the electricity conductor and shot five times. The circuit was broken and everything became calm.

"Lambo!" Tsuna ran toward Lambo and picked him up.

"What?! What do you think you're doing, little brat?!" Malvolia barked. "Oi! You stupid Cervellos! Shouldn't she be disqualified?!"

"Yes, since she interfered in the battle, she shall be disqualified!" said the Cervellos as they jumped down, locking Yotsuba in the middle.

"Hm, stupid girl, see what you're soft heart costed you?"

Everyone looked up to see Xanxus standing above them on the water tower. His eyes were cold and heartless, staring at Yotsuba. And Yotsuba glared right back at him.

"I don't care about being disqualified or not," said Yotsuba, "the reason why I did this is because if Tsuna-kun were the one that interfered, then Niisama would've gotten the other half of the Sky Ring and with that, you could just forget about all the battles and order us to be killed in the name of the Boss. Am I wrong?"

Xanxus was silent, but his eyes showed immense anger.

"Ah! I never thought about that!" gasped Tsuna.

Reborn smirked. "That girl has become sharper."

Yotsuba turned back to smile at Tsuna, "Don't worry, Tsuna-kun! Right now, we just have to concentrate on winning every battle. As long as it's not your ring, mine can go anywhere!"

"Yotsuba-chan………" Tsuna muttered.

Gokudera, who stood beside Tsuna, looked away unlike everyone else.

"Hmph! Trash…" Xanxus spat, "Do you think doing that would really help with anything? The results of the battles are clear already. None of your weak _friends_ are going to beat the Varia."

Yotsuba stared at Xanxus bravely. "I can't say that we'll win for sure and I can't predict the future or anything, but I just know that I'm fighting here with Tsuna-kun because the Vongola Decimo _has_ to be Tsuna-kun, no matter what!"

Xanxus's eyes widened a bit from Yotsuba's declaration. His stern face turned into a growl, showing his sharp teeth grinding against each other.

"Anyhow," one of the Cervello stepped up, "I will announce that the winner of the Battle of Thunder is Leviathan, and the other half of the Ring of Thunder will be given to the Varia!"

Levi walked toward the unconscious Lambo and retrieved the ring.

The Cervello continued, "And as a result of the interference by Mikami Yotsuba, she must also forfeit her Ring of Snow to the Varia!"

Tsuna watched worriedly as two of the members of the Varia approached Yotsuba. _Something isn't right. I have a bad feeling in my stomach…_ Tsuna thought.

Yotsuba pulled out the Ring of Snow from pocket and held it out. Belphegor, along with Mammon on his shoulder, came to get the ring. The wicked smile on Belphegor's face gave Yotsuba a bit of a chill.

"Princess," said Belphegor as he grabbed the ring, "We haven't played together in a long time, have we?"

"Hm?"

Before Yotsuba knew what was going on, ropes appeared out of nowhere and tied up her limbs. And with a swift of a motion, Belphegor picked her up and swung her over his other shoulder. He leapt through the dark night and back to the Varias, who began to retrieve.

"What?! Yotsuba-chan!!" Tsuna shrieked.

"Hey, you bastards! Give her back to us!" Ryohei shouted, waving his fists in the air.

Belphegor stuck out his tongue at them. "Ushishishi! Princess belongs to us! We haven't had time to talk to Princess since we saw her, so we're taking her home! We'll take her back for her battle, so just sit on your asses and wait!"

"Bastards! You're the ones that are supposed to wait! Mikami belongs to us! It's what she said earlier, didn't you bastards hear?!"

Ryohei's voice lingered in Yotsuba's voice. She looked at him thankfully, and her eyes traveled to Gokudera, who still looked away and has never once looked at her for the night. A big rock seemed to form in her heart.

Within a few seconds, Tsuna and the others became dots in her eyes.

----------

The Varia, along with Yotsuba, arrived at a fancy hotel near Namimori. They let Yotsuba loose from the rope so that it didn't look suspicious. And they made their ways to the top floor, into the biggest suites of the hotel. Xanxus was the first to walk in, and he stood there facing Yotsuba. She also made her way into the room, but as she entered, the other members shut the door behind her.

"What?!" Yotsuba tried to open the door, but it was locked from the outside.

She looked back at Xanxus, and saw the menacing man holding his gun out at her. An ear-piercing sound echoed in her brain as she fell to the floor. The color of red tainted her sight, and the pain told her that Xanxus has shot her in the arm.

_Niichan… why…?_

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: And Tsuna's charisma saves the day! I experienced a very big déjà vu when I was writing this chapter and watched the anime episode of 145. Tsuna's charisma is amazing! I love him more and more recently! Anyway, I've been pretty busy these days with work and whatnot, so updates might be a bit slow, but I'll try to update at least once every week! Okay, then, chow!


	30. Back in Those Days

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 30: Back in Those Days**

*_This chapter is in Squalo's POV! _

_*WARNING: Language! Bad, bad language!_

----------

I don't know when I started to feel this way toward Boss's sister. Maybe it was the day that she helped bandaged me, or maybe it was the day that she ran in the rain to find me, but I don't remember. When we were young, I was the one that approached Boss first because I was captivated by his fury, his strength, and his power. And she was just a little girl who popped out from everywhere since then. At first, she was quite annoying. No matter how much I yelled at her, she would yell even louder. Whenever she came up to me, she said crazy things that normal kids wouldn't say. And whenever I get pissed off, she runs off faster than a cheetah.

Throughout the years all the Varia members have gotten to know her more. Even with her dumb actions and reactions, there always seemed to be something more that went on in her head. There is always something there that she's trying to achieve.

And now, seeing her grown-up face all beaten up, yet still sleeping soundly in front of me, I can't help but feel a little…… damn, I don't even know! What the hell, I'm not supposed to be soft toward this little brat! But before I knew it, my hand was placed on the brat's left cheek. The sun's brightness lit up and increased the contrast between her pale skin and bruises.

Just like how Boss's fury attracted me, I was captured by her helplessness.

Boss was wrong. The brat wasn't the same. In fact, she's changed quite a lot. The girl who used to always be the first to run when there were troublesome things or danger, has now become brave enough to sacrifice herself. I'm sure Boss realizes, too, because even he has gone easy on her last night.

----------

The five of us—the bratty prince, Mammon, Levi, the damn woman, and me—hid behind the slightly-opened door and watched the whole episode. Just like Boss's style, he shot the girl right out of the blue. The brat didn't even scream. She fell to the ground staring at Boss disbelievingly.

"Niisama… why?"

Boss did not say anything, and just kept shooting at her. The brat learned her lesson the first time, and started to dodge the bullets. Also taking out her own guns, the brat tried to shoot Boss. Maybe because she was losing a lot of blood already, or maybe it's time for her sleep, her shots missed Boss dramatically. Yet, the number of wounds on her body kept increasing.

"Little trash…" Boss seemed to be really angry. "Tell me, this is how much your determination is worth?!"

The brat seemed to be shaken by Boss's loud voice. But without an answer, the brat kept shooting, but it was already clear that she can't last much longer. She knelt to the floor; she couldn't even hold her own weapon. Boss stepped closer and looked at her coldly, but that frown on his face definitely said something else.

"I should just kill you right here. It's death for you anywhere you turn, anyway." Boss said sternly, and pulled the trigger, placing the gun between the brat's eyes.

The brat only looked at Boss for half a second, and her body fell limp. One look and I knew, she's unconscious. Boss, too, lowered his gun with a look of disappointment… I think it's disappointment, at least.

"Oh, fuck it!" Malvolia suddenly said, turning around to head to her room. "Even Boss turned into a pussy! When it's my battle, I'm going to pull off her head first. I bet her blood tastes like dog waste…"

The damn woman rambled on and on until she shut her door. Geez, that woman disgusts me sometimes. She's strong, I'll give her that, but she loves killing a bit too much. Anyway, seeing that the fight has ended, Xanxus plopped down on the couch.

"How long are you trashes gonna stand outside?"

With that, all of us rushed in.

"Boss! I'll clean up the floor!" Levi said and immediately started mopping.

"Ushishishi, let's bandage Princess up! And she can sleep in my room tonight!"

"Oooiii! No way! Who knows what you're going to do to her?!"

"Whatever it is, she's not sleeping in _my_ room," Mammon said, "unless she pays me!"

"Shut up, trashes! Hurry up and get her out of here!" Boss bellowed.

"There's no other way. She'll sleep in my room tonight!" I said.

"Ushishishi… you are so greedy, long-hair!"

"What?!"

"GET THE HELL OUT!"

----------

I sighed looking at her wounds. The good thing was that all but one wound was not that bad. She dodged those bullets well; it wouldn't be just scratches for anyone else. Just as I was thinking to myself, the brat opened her eyes and groaned.

"Oi!" I said a little awkwardly.

"Squalo…" she muttered weakly. "Where am I?"

"My room."

She widened her eyes and lifted up the blanket. "No way! My virginity!"

My face heated up. "What the hell are you saying?! Who in the right mind would do something like that to a little brat like you?!"

I swung my fist at her. But she was quick enough to slide under the blanket and roll away. Okay, I was wrong earlier. She _is_ still that same little brat that runs away. But the sudden movement probably hurt her a little bit. I could hear a muffled "ow" from inside the blanket.

I grabbed the blanket and unwrapped her. "Stupid brat! Don't you know that patients aren't supposed to move around?"

"Hypocrite." She glared at me.

I looked at her seriously. "Are you okay, now?"

"What?"

"You know… about how Boss attacked you last night."

"Oh," she looked down. "I knew that Niisama was probably really mad at me, but I didn't think he would actually shoot me. But I guess I should've seen it coming. Niisama hates weak people, and I'm just not strong enough."

I frowned. "That's not it! Boss… he actually cares about you… I think."

The brat started laughing. "I think we've had this conversation before. Right, Squalo?"

Yes. Yes, we have…

-----EIGHT YEARS AGO-----

"Oooiii! Open the door!"

"It's open."

The big wooden door creaked open as I pushed. It was my first time entering Boss's sister's room. Unlike I imagined, it was quite simple and empty. The brat sat at her windowsill, looking at the gray sky gloomily. Her leg had been bandaged up, and two crutches were put next to her. Anyone could tell that she's upset.

"You came here to laugh at me too?" she asked before I could speak.

"There's nothing to laugh about," I said, "You don't have to be so upset…"

"Of course _you_ won't be upset!" she glared at me. "You became the captain of a squad."

"Oh, face it, brat! You're too weak to be in the Varia! You should be happy that Boss chose Malvolia over you!"

"Happy?!" she snapped. "How can I be happy?! She broke my leg and Niisama praised her for it! And I know that Niisama could've chosen both me and Malvolia! There are seven squads and only six were filled, yet Niisama won't let me in!"

I sighed. "Quit being stubborn! You know that Boss actually cares about you!"

She looked away. "No, he doesn't! He's stopped training me and he's always been having secret meetings with you guys! Who knows what you guys are planning!"

My heart thumped. "Boss... he… doesn't want you to get involved. There are a lot of cruel things in the Mafioso. You cannot be a part of Varia if you cannot be heartless like Malvolia. And… Boss wouldn't want you to become like that."

I don't want you to, either…

She looked at me with an unreadable expression. Sometimes, she really does not act like a child. "I know about the cruel things. My parents died that way."

"…………."

"But…" she managed a smile. "Thanks, I guess…"

-----PRESENT-----

"Yeah, I remember," I said, "enough of that. Your clothes have been pretty torn up; I brought some clothes from Bel's closet since his size is closest to yours."

"Hehhhh? But I don't like his stripy clothes!"

"Oooii! Don't complain! Know your place; you're still our enemy!"

"As if…" she rolled her eyes. "Then what's that plate behind you?"

"………your breakfast…"

I handed her the plate. She looked at it in distaste.

"Ew. Who the hell eats sashimi for breakfast?"

"I said: don't complain!" I shouted. "Ever since you disappeared, Lussuria insisted on taking over the cooking. You have no idea what kind of food he cooks."

She raised an eyebrow. "Fine, then. Feed me! My arm is injured!"

"Oooiii! Don't get too comfortable now!" Even though I said that, I still picked up a piece with chopsticks.

"Because I'm the Princess!"

"Gross. Maybe you and Bel are the real siblings. You're both crazy brats," I said while sending that piece of raw fish into the brat's mouth.

"Congratulations." The brat mumbled with food in her mouth.

"Huh?!"

"Congratulations," the brat said again after she swallowed. "Eight years ago… I never got to say it. Congratulations for gaining that new position, and for getting Niisama's approval. You didn't even get the chance to celebrate for yourself, and you came to cheer me up. You really are the best swordsman in the world."

I don't really know what happened next. My body seems to have moved by itself. My fingers loosened around the chopsticks, and the plate in my other hand has dropped to the floor. Then, I saw both of my hands on the brat's shoulders, and she has been pushed back down on the bed. My face heated up. Damn, what the hell am I doing? She is that little brat! Why do I feel like I want to……

"Ouch! Squalo, what was that fo……" the brat stopped in the middle of the sentence and looked at me with her big black eyes. A rosy color appeared on her cheeks because of our distance, and my eyes were drawn to the purple bruise near her collarbone.

Ah, damn it all… I already went this far!

I leaned down and placed my lips to where the bruise was. The brat's body seemed to have stupefied. Seeing that, I bit that spot that I'd just kissed. And she jumped.

"Ow-ow-ooowww! Are you really a shark or something?! If you're hungry, then eat your own freaking sashimi!" the brat returned to normal and started squirming around under me. "Squalo! Get off me! You're so heavy!"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

"Oi, brat…" I looked at her and she looked back at me nervously. "You… I…"

"PRINCESS!!!!" The door flew open and two things dashed in. But even quicker, I got off the brat and jumped off to the corner of the bed. Bel and Mammon were here.

"What is this nasty thing?" Bel said as he lifted up his foot. He had stepped on the sashimi that I'd dropped a while ago. "Ushishishi, is long-hair trying to feed Princess his own food? Don't worry, Princess, I brought something more edible!"

Bel handed her a cup of milk. She was still recovering from Bel and Mammon's sudden entrance… or my actions earlier. She took a little sip.

"It's _my _milk!" Mammon said, laying her palm out flat. "That'll be fifty-thousand yen!"

"Puuuahh!!" the brat choked.

"Ushishishi… Princess is still so fun to play with!"

"I wasn't playing." Mammon still didn't retrieve her hand.

Damn these little brats… they're totally ignoring me. "Oooiiii!! Get the hell out of here! Patient needs to rest!"

I pushed the two kids out of my room and also came out myself. I shut the door behind me and saw the weird looks from Bel and Mammon. "What?"

"Shishishi… we saw! We saw!" the bloody prince smiled wickedly.

"Saw… saw what?"

"Hmm… Boss would sure like to know!" Bel said as he ran off, leaving Mammon behind.

"Oooii, Mammon, what did you guys see?"

Mammon remained silent for a while. "Sharks aren't very smart…"

With that, the little one floated away.

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Gentle Squalo is so sexy. He understands Xanxus, he understands! Anyway, this chapter came out rather quickly because I won't be home for the weekend. I'm going up north some ways for my university orientation and it's going to a few days, so I thought I'd leave something with you guys first. Well, I've had this chapter in mind for a while so it was quite easy to write. I realized that I really love to make Yotsuba suffer… bleed more! Just kidding. And Gokudera… I can't help but make him look like an ***! Who else can do it but him?

Anypoo, I'll work like lightning once I come back from orientation. You can expect the next chapter on Friday or so. See ya guys later!


	31. Selfishness

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 31: Selfishness**

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One. Two. Three………Nine. Ten. Eleven. Yotsuba counted the wounds on her body as she changed her old bandage into new ones. Eleven wounds, mostly scratches, and a deep one on the arm. Whether or not Xanxus cared about her like Squalo said, she doesn't know, but she just knows that eleven times is just too cruel! Although, back in the days that she trained with him, he never went easy on her. She couldn't believe it, but she actually felt glad that Xanxus wasn't treating her too differently.

"Oh, gosh, why is Bel so damn skinny?" Yotsuba murmured as she pulled up a pair of Bel's black pants that hugged her thighs. "It's okay, Yotsuba, it's only because you have hips… it's okay…"

After pulling over a striped shirt of Bel's that was quite long for her, she opened the door. She stepped out and was greeted by an empty hallway in the hotel. She'd just realized that she had no idea where she was. A sound of footsteps approached her and she looked to her left.

It was Malvolia. The blue-haired woman held a little mirror and was putting on lipstick as she walked. When she looked up and saw Yotsuba, she stopped in her track.

"……Ugh, gross…" Malvolia muttered while making a disgusted face. She walked off quickly into a room not far from Squalo's.

_You're the one that's gross, _Yotsuba thought. When Malvolia walked past Yotsuba, all she could smell was alcohol, smoke, and especially blood. Malvolia was probably the one member of Varia that Yotsuba's scared of the most. The woman goes on killing sprees even when there are no missions. And according to Squalo, she's never satisfied until a limb is dislocated from each person's body. Yotsuba wondered what made Malvolia this way in the past, but since Malvolia treated her so badly, she's stopped caring… she thinks.

She walked in the direction that Malvolia came from, and soon found some elevators. Pressing the button with the upside-down triangle, she began to get a little suspicious. If they took the effort to kidnap her, why was no one keeping an eye on her? However, she knew that answer very well.

----------

Yotsuba arrived at the hotel's lobby and sat on a red sofa near the entrance. She looked at the big clock on the wall behind the check-ins. It read 12:10. _Great timing, _she thought. She waited a little more until Squalo, who she was expecting, came in through the front door with a paper bag in his hand. The silver-haired man looked at Yotsuba in surprise.

"Oh, it's you," said Squalo, "How did you know you're gonna find me here?"

"Niisama," Yotsuba replied, "always demanded vodka around this time of day. I figured that one of you guys would be put on the job, and Bel must be preparing for the battle tonight."

"You remember well. Your damn brother is really troublesome." Squalo complained as he waved around the bottle in his hand.

"Well, go give that to Niisama before he harms you!"

"Come with me," said Squalo, pulling Yotsuba with him with his empty hand, "you're not escaping."

"Squalo, do you know how it feels to be chained up?"

The man stared down at the girl beside him. It has been a while since he'd heard one of Yotsuba's daily weird questions. "No. I'll just cut up those chains if they try to chain me up."

Yotsuba laughed half-heartedly. _But you can't cut emotions, can you?_

----------

Even with the fresh air of the night caressing her face, Yotsuba could not whip up and smile. The time for the Battle of Storm has come quickly. The Varia members were traveling from roof to roof with an incredible speed, while Yotsuba rode on Squalo's back. The battle is between Bel and Gokudera. In all honesty, Yotsuba didn't want to come to see the battle at all. She knew that she would be heartbroken to see Gokudera's angry face at her, and she couldn't imagine what Tsuna and the others would think of her.

They arrived at Namimori Junior High, and Tsuna's team has just arrived also—all except Gokudera. Tsuna and the others seemed to be worried that Gokudera hasn't shown up yet, while Bel was snickering. Then, Tsuna finally noticed Yotsuba as she was let down by Squalo.

"Yotsuba-chan!" he shouted.

Yotsuba hesitated to look at Tsuna, not knowing whether to smile or frown. Tsuna took a step toward Yotsuba, but Squalo put his sword in front of her, stopping Tsuna from approaching more. Seeing that he could not do anything else, Tsuna stayed in his place and just shouted.

"Yotsuba-chan! I heard about you and Gokudera-kun from Reborn!"

Yotsuba remained silent and appeared indifferent, but in her heart she was anxious.

"Don't worry, Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna said. "Gokudera-kun may be a little stubborn, but I believe you! You were there to save Lambo, after all!"

Hearing Tsuna's words, Yotsuba felt a little guilty. She forced a smile to show that she was okay, and Tsuna seemed to be relieved. Maybe being naive is better than being sophisticated.

Finally, at the last moment, Gokudera arrived just in time to still be qualified for the battle. He was all geared up for the battle, and he smiled confidently at Tsuna. However, when he looked over to the enemy's side to see Bel, he also saw Yotsuba looking at him nervously. She seemed even more nervous when she noticed his gaze. The clothes she was wearing were Bel's; that must've added Gokudera's suspicion. Yotsuba wanted to explain, but she realized that she really had nothing to explain.

_I… wasn't forced to wear these, so what is there to explain?_

----------

The violent battle was announced at the third floor of the school building. Powerful turbines were set up in various places on the floor, so that makes the battle even riskier. The real danger was that if the winner wasn't decided by the time limit, the both of them would die. Tsuna and the others were worried, juxtaposed to Bel, who was getting excited over this "interesting match".

"Nonetheless, let's do the group cheer before we start!" Ryohei exclaimed.

Yotsuba, now standing on the Varia's side, watched Tsuna's group do their usual cheer. She cannot help but admit that she felt hurt seeing the group circle without her. For the first couple of times, she felt so embarrassed doing something so childish. But now, she longs to be a part of that circle, too. The feeling of Ryohei's strong arms on hers seems to be a burning memory right now.

"GOKUDERA!! FIGHT-OH!!"

Gokudera and Bel walked to the middle, facing each other. Gokudera was glaring at Bel, while Bel's grin could not stretch any wider.

"Shishishi, don't be so nervous!" Bel snickered as he patted on Gokudera's shoulder. "Take a load of your shoulders!"

The battle began, and Gokudera did not notice what Bel had done when he put his hand on Gokudera's shoulder. Even with the strong currents put forth by the turbines, Bel was still able to attack Gokudera with his knives. This was shocking to everyone, and the winner was obviously Bel during the first half of the battle. Not until thirty minutes into the battle did Gokudera realized Bel's trick with the thin wires. But even with the realization, Gokudera wasn't able to counterattack at all.

"Continuously in the heart of attacks, the storm of the raging waves that never rests. I can do it, but…" Bel snickered, "you can't!"

Knives danced in the air as if they had lives. No matter where Gokudera ran to, even when the knives missed him, blood still spewed out from new wounds every time. Yotsuba winced each time a new wound was added to Gokudera's body. It was just like her situation last night with Xanxus; she felt like she could feel those wounds again while watching this battle.

Finally, Gokudera was able to notice the small pin stuck to his shoulder, connecting to thin wires. Quickly disposing the wires, Gokudera barely dodged the final attack. And with his Rocket Bomb technique mastered, Gokudera finally counterattacked. With what seemed like a direct blow, Bel still came out of the smoke looking fine, excluding all the blood dripping down his face.

"The blood…" Bel muttered madly, "the royal blood is flowing out!"

Bel seems to have become mad and began laughing hysterically. Yotsuba has never seen this side of Bel, so she became quite worried about the battle. The battle reached its climax in the library, where Bel had Gokudera surrounded with razor-sharp wires. However, Gokudera was able to see through Bel's plan and disconnect all the wires with his bomb ahead of time. Then, Gokudera gave his final blow.

It was clear. The winner was Gokudera. Yotsuba was relieved to see that both Gokudera and Bel's lives were not in danger. However, everyone was shocked to see Bel's hand shot up toward Gokudera's neck and grabbed the half of the Vongola Ring. As a last struggle, Bel could not bear to lose. The two of them rolled around and began to fight with their bare hands.

"Hayato!" Shamal shouted from the other side. "Give up the ring and come back alive!"

"No!!" Gokudera shouted back. "Someone who returns empty-handed… isn't worthy of the name of Juudaime's right-hand man!"

"Gokudera!!"

"Octopus-head! Come back here!"

Yotsuba watched the barbaric fight warily. She could not stay calm anymore. "Stop it, Bel! Gokudera! You're both gonna die! There's no point of this battle if both of you died!"

Obviously, Bel was not sane enough to hear Yotsuba's words.

"Even if I die, I won't five up!" Gokudera shouted back at her. "You're not the only who can sacrifice themselves for Juudaime! That kind of thing… I can do it too!"

Yotsuba was taken back by Gokudera's exclamation. "Gokudera-kun…"

"That's enough!"

The angry voice of Tsuna stopped Gokudera's struggling. "Aren't we fighting so that everyone can laugh together again!? If you die, then there's no point of any of this! We still have to save Yotsuba-chan, don't we?!"

Tsuna's words seemed to have some effect on Gokudera. But at the same time, the last wind turbine has exploded, and it seemed that both of them had no chance in living. However, they were all relieved to see that the both of them have made it out of the explosion alive.

Gokudera stumbled to Tsuna's side and finally collapsed. "Sorry, Juudaime. The ring was lost… I came back because I wanted to see the fireworks again…"

"Thank goodness, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna smiled with tears in his eyes. "I'm really glad!"

As Tsuna and the others celebrated Gokudera's coming out alive, Yotsuba also jogged toward Bel, who was collapsed on the floor, still laughing about the ring. Yotsuba propped the prince's head up with her arms, and soon the prince lost consciousness. Letting out a relieved sigh, Yotsuba pulled his arm over her shoulder and lifted him up. Bel's weight made Yotsuba stumble backwards, but someone was behind her so that she did not fall over.

"Give that bratty prince to me," Squalo said. "You can't carry him."

"Thanks," Yotsuba handed Squalo the prince's arm. She stood in place as Squalo dragged Bel away, looking back at Tsuna and the others, and back to Bel's blood stained on her hands.

When she looked back up again, she saw Gokudera's gaze locking with her own. One look and she knew. Gokudera hasn't completely forgiven her yet, but at least he accepted her as a part of their group again. At that moment all of her stress and agony for the past three days has finally been broken, and tears started to pour down from her eyes. Gokudera was clearly surprised, and looked away quickly.

"Hm?" Levi noticed Yotsuba's silent tears. "Boss, she's crying."

Xanxus stared at Yotsuba crying quietly. It seems like he has no intention of talking to the girl.

"Ooooiii! Brat, what are you crying about?!" Squalo dropped Bel on the floor and approached Yotsuba. Just as he was going to put his hand on her shoulder, a subordinate of Levi's crashed through the hallway in front of everyone. Everyone was shocked by the sudden crash-in, but they were more surprised by the person that walked out of the darkness. Tsuna was the first to shriek.

"Hibari-san!!"

Yotsuba looked up with her blurry eyes to see the Disciplinary Committee Chairman whom she hasn't seen in so long. Even after all this time, she could still tell from his expression that he was extremely angry. In other words, he's pissed off, more than ever.

"What do you think you're doing at my school?" Hibari asked coldly, addressing everyone. "I'll bite you all to death!"

"Even us?!" Tsuna panicked, looking around in circles.

Hibari ignored Tsuna's nervous outbursts, and observed his preys in the hall. His eyes scanned the area and landed on a crying Yotsuba. He stared at her for a while and his eyes lingered on Yotsuba's red, swollen eyes. it made her remember the day that Hibari last found her crying, how he beat her up for crying. And then, Hibari's gaze traveled to Squalo, who was grabbing Yotsuba's shoulder. The two males glared at each other.

"Taking my prey… I'm going to bite you to death!"

"Ha?!" Squalo raised an eyebrow, glaring at the skylark icily. "Brat, let me tell you something. She's mine."

It was Hibari's turn to raise his eyebrow. "What are you talking about? She is my committee member. No one touches her except for me."

_My committee member…_

"Kyouya…" Yotsuba muttered. "Sorry… please let me be selfish for this last time…"

Hibari stared into Yotsuba's dark eyes. "Herbivore…"

With that, Hibari walked away, leaving the repairs of the school to the Cervello. All the ruckus came to an end, and Yotsuba looked over to Tsuna, who smiled at her understandingly. Tears seemed to well up in Yotsuba's eyes again. Only a person like Tsuna could understand her situation and accept her, and she was grateful for it. Sitting on the shoulder of Gola Mosca, she left with the Varia back to the hotel.

_Please forgive me, everyone. Forgive my selfishness… for using the kidnap as an excuse to be with the Varia for as long as I could. But I promise… I will fight against the Varia with all I've got when my time comes. So now, please let me be selfish for this last time, and be with them for a while…_

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Sorry for such a late update! I was so tired from the orientation, and I had work every other day afterwards, so I was really tired. Anyway, I'm having some sort of writer's block. I hope it goes away soon.


	32. Destiny

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 32: ****Destiny**

*This chapter is told in Yotsuba's POV.

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Bel was beaten to the ground by Malvolia's fist.

She was frustrated. She was frustrated that none of the members that have participated in the battles has killed any of the "brats" on Tsuna's team. Until now, the violence of the Ring Battles hasn't sunk in to me. I was so engrossed about my dilemma with the Varia and Tsuna that I haven't paid much attention to how close to death I am.

"You all are useless!" Malvolia bellowed, making the others all look at her. "Killing those brats should be easy! If the Varia is beaten so easily, I don't know why I even joined!"

Then she looked at me, and glared icily. "You, brat… I'll kill you before you can even blink."

I stared at my reflection in her clear, blue eyes. I saw that this woman in front of me sincerely wanted to kill me. I wonder how beautiful her eyes would've been, if there wasn't a red barrier of death blurring them. Not until now have I realized that I'll be going against such a fearsome enemy in just a few days.

The image was clear in my head again—the red sea, the rain of blood. The memories asleep deep inside of me were waiting to be awakened. Can a soil soaked with blood grow flowers? Can you still pray with a cross that's been covered with dust? If I weren't so clueless back then, could I have prevented all this? If I was strong… if I was fearless…

_Mukuro… _his image emerged in my mind. The cruelty of the world of Mafioso… I thought I was ready for it, wasn't I? And still, because of this world, I met dad, Niisama, the Varia, Tsuna and the others, and Mukuro. To keep them beside me, I must…

"If you taunt me like this, then you'd better put up a good show later on." I said, shocking a few people around us.

Malvolia shot a death glare at me. Her gaze was cool as snow. But I felt nothing.

She straightened her back and walked toward me. She looked down and I looked up. I didn't notice that she was taller than me for about a head. The back of my neck hurt just from holding my head high, but I wasn't going to back down. Besides, I'm in a terrible mood right now. She should know better.

"Oh?" she smirked. "Little brat, you've grown some guts."

Either me or you. It's death for one of us.

"Yes. I know."

Malvolia's smirk turned darker. "Then I'll be looking forward to the battle. I'll see how long you can keep that glare of yours up before I rip off your limbs one by one."

"I won't lose," I pointed at her. "Only you… I will never go easy on you!"

Suddenly, Malvolia grabbed my protruding hand. Her hand was very cold. So cold that it didn't feel like a human's temperature. She didn't use so much strength as to break my bones, but her fingers were like metal chains.

This person is dangerous. Just her hand threatens me so. I could be dead within a second.

"Come at me with all you have…" she whispered as she leant down, "I love the expression of someone struggling for their last breath…"

With a low chuckle, she walked away. I was wrong; I could be death within half a second. What surprised me more was that I wasn't as scared as I thought I'd be… like I've already accepted it. I've already accepted… my destiny.

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"Ooooiii! Brat!"

I turned around to see Squalo approach me with long strides. I was heading for my own room that I've checked in, and I'm pretty sure that I got a totally different floor than the rest of the Varia. He put a hand on my shoulder when he was within reach.

"You're acting a bit differently today," he pointed out. "That's weird. You were just crying earlier."

"What do you mean by different?"

"I mean… you're actually talking back to that woman. I was worried for your life there!"

"It's not something for you to worry about. We're enemies now, Squalo."

The grasp of his hand on my shoulder tightened. I turned around to see a pained expression on his face. "Hey, you know that you can't fight against us."

"I can and I will," I said without hesitation, "because the Sky that I choose covers all. Even me, a person as weak as me."

"Come on! You know that Xanxus…"

"No. He wouldn't let me into his world. You and I both know that."

-----EIGHT YEARS AGO-----

_Why has Niichan been so secretive lately? The Varia had been having secret meetings that I couldn't take part in. And none of the other niichans would tell me a thing. What are they planning?_

"Go away. It's none of your business!" said Niichan.

"Ahan~ let's talk about this over a manicure!" said Lussu-nee, and he never mentioned anything.

"I gotta go get vodka for your stupid brother. Go bother someone else!" said Squalo.

"If you want to know, then pay up for the information fees!" said Mammon.

"I must obey Boss," said Levi.

"Shishishi… let's play dodge instead!" said Bel, and he started to throw knives at me.

I can't say that I have the rights to know what's going on. After all, I wasn't accepted as a part of Varia, so I shouldn't interfere with their jobs. But still, the look of anticipation on Niichan's face worries me every day. It makes me upset that not even Squalo would tell me anything. It probably only meant well for me, a little girl who hasn't ever had the experience of killing. But for a young girl like me, who has laughed at her own mother's death, aren't I the same as them already?

Trying to convince myself that they deserve their own privacy, I went to my bedroom. When I entered the room, I found Dad sitting on a chair next to my bed. Ever since Niichan became the leader of Varia, Dad has had that tired look constantly. Niichan refused to associate with Dad in any way, so it's understandable that Dad became so down.

"Is there something you need to tell me, Ninth?" I asked.

"Yotsuba, you can call me Dad, you know?" Dad said, smiling warily.

"Yes, Dad," I smiled in return, climbing onto my bed.

The atmosphere became a bit tense as the distance between Dad and I became closer. I could feel the anxiety air around Dad. Something was troubling him.

"Yotsuba, I need to talk to you about Xanxus," said Dad. He looked at me seriously, but also with such a soft expression that almost seemed pleading. "I want you not to visit him or the Varia anymore."

Dad's words shot straight into my heart. "Dad, I know that they're dangerous, but I trust them."

Dad only stared at me. It made me wonder if my real father ever looked at me like that. And after a long search in my memories, I can't seem to remember. Maybe I was too young, or maybe it just never happened. The gentle look of Dad made me want to tell him the truth.

"Dad, the Varia is planning something secretly without your orders."

Dad only let his surprise show for an instant. He motioned for me to continue.

"I know that they're quite the rebellious bunch, but somehow I feel like they are all so close to me." I said, "And somehow I feel like I want to protect them. So Dad, please forgive them for anything they might do in the future."

"Yotsuba, do you feel like you're a part of them?"

I looked at Dad in shock. "Sometimes… I feel like I need to be surrounded by danger to be able to fulfill my duties as a Vongola."

This time, Dad looked at me in astonishment, and he started to shake his head warily. He held onto my hands. "Oh, Yotsuba, dear. It's not your destiny. You don't have to carry on your father's role… his destiny."

He said so apologetically. I didn't really understand what he meant back then, but I do know.

----------

"Young lady! Young lady, please answer the door!"

A series of shouting and knocking was heard around midnight in the Vongola headquarters. I awoke to the commotion, but opened the door for my butler. He quickly came in, and locked the door behind him. He seemed to be really nervous about something, and kept pushing me to put on some clothes, while he pulled down my curtains.

"What's going on, Antonio?" I asked as I put on appropriate clothes as he wished.

"The Vongola headquarters is under attack!" Antonio grabbed my hand as he spoke, leading me to the window, where he set up an escape route.

"What?!" I exclaimed. "I can't leave, then! Where's the Ninth? Who are the attackers?!"

"The Ninth is facing the attackers himself," Antonio said. "I'm sorry, young lady; I must obey the Ninth's orders and take you somewhere safe."

"But I…" I couldn't struggle anymore as Antonio tied the curtain, which is now rolled up into a rope, around him and I. "Dad, please be okay…"

Antonio brought me down the window and ran away into the woods. We stayed inside a cave and waited for someone to signal us that the drastic event has ended. The drastic event known as the Cradle Affair.

-----PRESENT-----

"Brat, Xanxus knew that if we told you about what we were planning, you would've ran and told the Ninth," Squalo said, seemingly to explain something.

"Yes, of course, because I'm part of the Vongola after all." I turned away, ready to head for my room again."

He grabbed me again, but this time I turned around quicker than he thought. He was shocked to see that I've aimed my gun at him. He put down his hand and looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"You're going to shoot me?" he asked calmly.

"Because we've became enemies from the start," I said, "ever since Niisama joined the Varia, betrayal existed ever since. Not just the Ring Battles, we've been enemies ever since we met, Squalo."

Something tells me that he was hurt by my comment. What he doesn't know was that each and every word that came out of my mouth killed a little bit of something inside me. But… I've already decided.

"Lower your gun," he said, "I don't want to see you like this."

I lowered my gun as he wished, but kept my cold demeanor. "It's my destiny, Squalo. What my father passed down to me, I'm going to carry it on. This is my way to support the Vongola from afar."

He sighed, and turned away. As he walked down the hall, I silently wished that he would look back a little. "Don't be reckless during the Battle of Rain, Squalo. I know how you are with other swordsmen."

Squalo stopped in his track for a moment, and continued on. I, also, went back to my own road.

----------

Unexpectedly, a person waited for me inside my room—Mukuro. He stood there by the open window; moonlight showered onto his blue hair and shone in his cursed eye. It almost made it look beautiful. I had to laugh a little at myself. Thinking that Malvolia's eyes were covered by blood a while ago, isn't this person standing before me even more bloodstained? Yet, I can't help but admit that I felt somewhat happy to see him.

"Carry on your father's destiny, eh?" he said with a soft chuckle. "Then you must be destined to die the way he did."

I ignored his words and climbed into bed. But I've actually taken his words to heart. "I don't know how you found this place, but please don't wear yourself out as well as Chrome."

"You're not afraid?" he asked.

"You said that you won't let me die out of your sight, didn't you?" I said, smiling. "And seeing as you always know my whereabouts, I can be relieved for a while."

Mukuro was silent for a moment, clearly surprised by what I said. "Kufufufu… seems like I've made an unnecessary promise…"

Then I heard the window close. Mukuro must've left. It might be because of the way he understood me so, I feel like I can go to sleep in peace tonight. Tonight will be the last day that I'll be returning here. My father died for Vongola, and if that's my destiny, I'll accept it. My heart will not change even after ten years.

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TBC.

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A/N: Ah, it's finally been written! Sorry that this chapter took a while, I was really uninspired for a long time. It was quite uneventful, but I hope that you all liked this chapter. On a side note, I'm so happy that Mukuro appeared again in TYL Arc! I finally have an idea about how to write it when the time comes! Okay, chow!


	33. A Dark Tale

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 33: A Dark Tale**

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Malvolia was a child that never cried. Her mother often said to her, "Malvolia, you're a child born from hatred."

Her mother said that the day that Malvolia arrived, she was dropped from the sky along with many other dead corpses. Her mother thought that the baby girl would be dead for sure. However, when she looked closer, Malvolia was watching the sky with her big, blue eyes. Her eyes blinked curiously at the woman that approached her. Then, her mother took to raising the baby girl. The reason being that she'd wanted someone to clean up after her when she dies.

Not long after that, Malvolia turned one year old. Her mother died; Malvolia was too young to clean up after her.

In this dark city ran by a mafia family called the Orfeo Family, no one was willing to take Malvolia. Malvolia sat beside her mother's corpse, opening her eyes wide. She was quiet, not crying a single tear, and she would even smile a bit. A few nights have passed as Malvolia watched people pass her by, suddenly, she started to feel hungry.

In this place, there were always people crying, screaming, running, standing, falling. Some people begged countless of times, and others wouldn't share even a single breathe.

Malvolia was very hungry, but she never cried. Malvolia was going to die soon.

The rain was falling lightly; the puddles on the ground reflecting the dark sky above. In front of Malvolia's blurry eyes stood an old man. The old man lowered his back to scrutinize the little girl. Malvolia's eyes traveled up and down the old man's long beard, and finally, reached out her hand to grab hold of it. She pulled on it, and started to giggle breathlessly.

"Hmm…" the old man only made a sound out of his deep thought.

"Boss," a younger man appeared behind the old man, "we've finished collecting the ten children."

The old man did not reply to the young man. He removed Malvolia's hand from his beard, and straightened his back. Malvolia remain seated next to the dead woman, her mouth half open, staring at the old man. But the old man still left. With his hands intertwined behind his back, the old man said, "it's too bad…"

The pitter patter of raindrops never ceased, as if the sky was crying for her. Malvolia watched the two men walk away from her. Her gaze locked on their retrieving backs. And finally, she made a noise, "ah…"

The two men continued to walk.

"Ah…" Malvolia called again; the two kept walking.

"Ah… ah, ah…" Malvolia made out some more sound, but the men's pace never changed.

"Ah…" the little girl's two hands fastened into fists. Her eyes have finally become so blurry that the strangers disappeared as if they were never there in the first place.

The world was only gray.

Suddenly, Malvolia began to cry. All of a sudden filling the street with a new sound, she cried as if she was using the last bit of life she had left in her tiny body. She waved her arms around, tilting her body forward. It seemed as if she was trying to grab onto something, to capture something. Her eyes shut tight from the crying, not knowing that the old man was, again, standing before her.

"Dante."

"Boss?"

"Let's make this time's exam a bit more exciting," the old man said as he picked up the crying girl. "This babe's cries are loud and clear. I think she has potential."

"Yes, Boss." Dante said, smiling.

On that day, eleven young children were brought to Orfeo's secret base. Only Malvolia's name was left known to the world.

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As early as she could remember, Malvolia lived in screams after screams—both her own and others. Malvolia was placed between the other ten children. She wasn't the strongest, but she survived. Five out of the eleven died, and then three followed. Malvolia was four years old. It was the third stage of the Orfeo Family's examination to pick out new assassins to add to the Family.

"What's your name?" the examiner asked as he powered up the electricity running through the children's bodies.

No one had the chance to answer. The shock was too much for children to handle, and Malvolia was the first to black out. Ice water was poured on them and they all woke up, and the next thing they felt was another wave of electricity. The examiner asked, "What's your name?"

The only answer was the screaming of children.

Some time has passed and the examiner was still asking the same question. The electricity must've killed some of them, because the screaming has become less than before. The only loud voice was the examiner's questions. Malvolia couldn't see through her blurry eyes, but she felt some of the children being released by the examiner. They were dragged away; they were dead.

"What's your name?"

Malvolia forced her eyes open. Her lips were trembling. However, she could not make out a word.

As the clock ticked, a few more children died. Malvolia saw corpses being dragged away through her blurry eyes. She could hear sound of the dead bodies against the floor, because no one was screaming anymore. The examiner walked in front of the leftover children, and interrogated them individually, "What's your name?"

His voice was very calm. Malvolia stared at the man's half smile, and a tear drop fell from her eyes. He was only asking a simple question, but she couldn't answer. The examiner moved away from Malvolia and moved on to another.

"……Ma….."

Malvolia couldn't even hear herself, but the examiner came back in front of her.

"……Ma….."

The examiner smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"……Ma!!" Malvolia exclaimed, the sudden outburst of her voice left her throat stinging.

"What's your name?"

"Ma…. Ma!"

"What's your name?"

"Ma….. Ma! Ma!... Ma!"

"What's your name?!" The examiner bellowed.

"Mal… Malv! Malvolia! Malvolia!"

A question and an answer—that was what it took for Malvolia to live. After the third stage of the examination, three children remained, including Malvolia. For the children, this memory was burnt into their hearts. But for the Orfeo Family, it was just something natural.

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A few years later, Malvolia killed the other two children. The Orfeo Family only accepted one additional assassin each time. When the other two children lunged at her, what was she to do? Dante looked at the blue-haired girl, who was completely unharmed, and thought it very strange. The strengths between these three kids weren't very different throughout the years, but how is it that Malvolia was able to kill the others so easily?

The old man beside Dante watched Malvolia as she curiously picked up her knife once again. She cut open the stomach of the dead child next to her, and poked around the inners, fascinated by such things. The old man couldn't help but laugh happily—the girl reminded him of himself when he was a kid.

"Ha, ha! Come here, Malvolia! Come here!"

Malvolia turned her head to look at the old man, who held out his arms for the girl. She walked toward the old man like she was ordered to, and the old man brought her in.

"Good job, Malvolia! You're a sweet child!" he ruffled her blue hair lovingly.

This was the first time Malvolia was embraced, and the first time that she was complimented. Slowly, she nestled her face into the old man's chest, smiling happily. Malvolia didn't think she'd accomplished anything. But she just killed two people, and so many people smiled at her, hugged her. Malvolia felt happy, extremely happy.

----------

Malvolia grew up killing for the Orfeo Family. At first, she thought she was paying back the Family for raising her up. But as time passed on, she realized that she enjoyed the thrill of murder. The expressions of people at the instant of death made her excited. At age fourteen, Malvolia killed Dante.

"Malvolia…… why?" Dante muttered with his last breaths.

"I just don't think it right," Malvolia stared down at him coldly, "for people weaker than me to give me orders."

And then everyone started to fear her. Malvolia gained the position left by Dante, and killed the higher-ups one by one. A few years later, killing could not satisfy Malvolia any longer. Every time she faced an opponent, she toyed with them, tortured them in the cruelest ways. Malvolia was well on her way to killing up to half of the members in the Orfeo Family until someone else beat her to it. She was sixteen that year, when the Orfeo Family was attacked by the Vongola Family. The group of assassins called the Varia alone was able to wipe out the whole place Malvolia once called home. However, she did not fight for the Orfeo.

"What are you doing, Malvolia?!" the old man said, lying the floor as blood poured out from his stomach. "Help us!"

Malvolia stood next to the dying old man, staring at the enemy assassins with her big blue eyes. She could feel the powers emitting from the red-eyed leader among his group. It excited her; it would be such a pleasure to dig out those fiery eyes of his.

"Malvo--!" the old man had tried to shout, but he was silenced with a bullet in the back of his head.

Malvolia's rebellion only surprised the Varia a little bit. They lowered their weapons to observe the girl's next moves. But it seems that Malvolia had no intention of fighting them… yet. She knelt down next to her former boss and removed the claws from his hands. With all the blood on the claws, she easily slid the metal on her wrist. It was as if the claws were made for her.

"Oooooii! What is with this crazy girl?!" one of the Varia with silver hair exclaimed.

"My name is Malvolia," she said. "Let me join you."

At first, the Varia hesitated. But after a while, something crossed the fiery eyes of their leader, and he accepted her request. Not only did Malvolia earn herself a spot in the Varia, she also became the commander of the Snow Unit. But it didn't mean anything to her; all she wanted was to kill more people.

----------

Although Malvolia wasn't the most trustworthy member of the Varia, she was the most efficient when it came to massive killing. She usually had no complaints about any kind of murder, and followed orders like she was supposed to. But she knew, deep in her mind, that when she becomes stronger, the first one that she will kill is Xanxus. It excited her when she pictured bright, red blood run down his red eyes. She held no affection toward any other member of the Varia, because when the day that she defeats Xanxus comes, they'll be her first targets.

That is why she felt nothing as she watched the huge shark bite down on Squalo. If anything, she only felt pity that she couldn't have pulled his limbs apart herself. Her eyes wandered toward the enemy's side, where Xanxus's sister now stood. She scoffed at the horrified expression that the girl had when Squalo perished.

It was getting ridiculous that these Varia members were being defeated by these mere children. Had she really joined such a weak group? Or is the group of kids really that strong? No, that's impossible. A little girl, who can't even watch an enemy perish, cannot be strong at all. But she remembered the night before, when the black-eyed girl challenged her. Even though knowing that the girl was no match for her, Malvolia was somewhat aroused by the determination in the girl's eyes.

_I want to kill her._

She wanted to see what kind of expression the brat would have at the moment of death. Surely, it's going to thrill her. And when she tear the brat apart, the face of Xanxus will be quite amusing. Too bad she won't be seeing Squalo's; there's another pity. She licked her lips; she felt like killing someone right now.

"I announce that the next battle that will take place is the Battle of Snow!" the Cervello announced.

_Perfect! _Malvolia's heartbeat quickened.

"Wait! But the Varia's Guardian of Snow already has both halves of the ring! Why does Yotsuba-chan still have to fight?" Tsuna exclaimed, not wanting his friend to fight.

"Because Xanxus-sama doesn't object that the battle takes place, and we already received the approval of both Snow Guardians," the Cervello answered.

"What?!"

"Don't worry, Tsuna-kun," Yotsuba said, "it's my decision. I'll win back the Ring of Snow."

Malvolia chuckled to herself. The brat is getting confident; this is too amusing. She probably needed to kill some people before she could fall asleep tonight. Resisting her urge to kill, she turned around with the rest of the Varia and exited with them.

"You're kidnapping that brat tonight?" Malvolia asked as she went beside Xanxus on their way back to the hotel. "It's going to be the last time you're gonna see her."

Xanxus looked at her emotionlessly. "Don't talk to me, trash."

Malvolia bared her teeth, making a bloodthirsty smile.

"After I kill your sister, I'm going for you, Xanxus…"

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TBC.

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A/N: Sorry for the late update, guys! I had to rewrite this chapter three times because I was having a really, really hard time! And sorry for those of you who expected me to write about the Battle of Rain. It would be a waste of time, really, because everyone already knows what happened. I hope you all had fun reading about Malvolia's past, even though most of you probably don't like her anyway. It makes me happy writing about Dark-themed things! Ha, ha, I really need some inspiration… urgently! And your encouragement, please! Also, university is starting for me in a week, so I'll try to upload one more chapter before school starts. And then I don't know how fast I'll be updating after that, but I'll try my best. But I promise that I won't give up the story! All right, this A/N is too long, so chow!


	34. Pure White

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 34: Pure White**

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The day has finally come. Instead of training hard in the morning, Yotsuba slept for the whole day as Reborn told her to. She had thought that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep at all, but she fell asleep quite easily. Of course, she's as nervous as Tsuna was, but she wasn't going to show it in front of Malvolia. Xanxus had once told her, if her aura is not as strong as her opponent, then it's a definite loss for her. So she gathered up her courage. She never imagined that she'd have to use what she'd learned from her brother to beat him. She wondered how Xanxus would feel if she lost her life in this battle.

"Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna was the first to greet her when she arrived at Nami Junior High. "Did you get a good rest?"

"Yeah. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep, but I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow," Yotsuba said in the most carefree way she could manage.

"Don't force yourself, Yotsuba-chan," said Tsuna worriedly, "If things become bad, don't risk your life for it! That Malvolia person seems really dangerous. I'd rather have you come back alive than the Vongola Ring!"

The inside of Yotsuba felt warm all of a sudden. "Don't worry, Tsuna-kun, I'll come back alive for sure!"

_Because it's either me or her, and I can't let it be her. _

In a few minutes, the Varia also arrived. Malvolia grinned at the young ones, especially at Yotsuba. The blue-haired Varia seemed to be extremely excited for this battle, and it gave Tsuna chills down his spine. Momentarily, the Cervello brought the two groups to the indoor pool in Nami Junior High. Screens were set up outside of the room, and they were able to figure out why. The doors were pulled open and a snow blizzard rushed out from the room. When they looked closely, even the pool has been frozen into ice.

"It's so cold!" Tsuna exclaimed. "They're going to fight in there?!"

"Only the two Guardians of Snow can enter this room," the Cervello explained. "The snow maker in the room will continuously lower its own temperature, which means that this battle will have a two-hour time limit. Spectators can watch from the screens on the outside. Now, will the two Guardians of Snow please step in."

Hearing her cue, Yotsuba advanced to the door to the snowy room. As she was going to pull open the door, Tsuna grabbed her wrist.

"Yotsuba-chan," Tsuna said a little nervously, "Let's do it… the group hug…"

Yotsuba was a little startled, but after seeing all her friends smiling at her, she thought it'd be unfriendly of her not to join in. But truthfully, she'd wanted to do it, anyway. They gathered in a circle. Tsuna's arm over her right shoulder and Gokudera's over her left. She looked at Gokudera, who made a face at her.

"You better not lose, stupid woman," he muttered in a voice only audible for the two of them.

"I'd never lose like you did, octopus-head," she smirked, earning herself a death glare.

Yotsuba felt the arms crossing her shoulders tighten. Giving her an encouraging squeeze.

"YOTSUBA!! FIGHT-OH!!"

His caring eyes, his carefree smile, his heart-pumping voice, his stubborn glare—those are the things that she will be fighting for. And just for that, she'll fight against anyone.

"Yocchan!" a familiar voice called for her from behind. She looked and saw Dino clumsily ran up to them, waving his hand childishly. "I thought I'd come cheer you up! Kyouya should be here too, probably somewhere unseen!"

Yotsuba smiled. _Yeah, and him. _She twisted the doorknob and pulled it open after letting out a big breath.

_And _him_… are you here watching me, also? _

"Of course, my little clover," muttered the young man outside of the school, watching from afar with his two followers. His blue hair shimmering under the moonlight, and his smile was more gentle than malicious. "It's a promise."

----------

Yotsuba was new to all of this. Although she has been through rigorous trainings with Xanxus, HIbari, and Iemitsu, her heart still felt like it's dropped to the bottom when Malvolia's blood splashed onto her body. What scared her even more was her lack of hesitation when Malvolia said, "I'll give you one free shot." But it didn't seem like Yotsuba's attack affected Malvolia much at all. She seemed even more excited now that she has been wounded. It was as if the shot was the real initiation of the battle; Malvolia darted at Yotsuba. The movement of Malvolia's claws were barely able to be seen.

"What speed!" Yotsuba thought.

Malvolia laughed as she swung her claws at Yotsuba nonstop. Yotsuba was only able to dodge the attacks at the last second. Thanks to Hibari's trainings, Yotsuba was able to defend herself better at close-distance combat. However, defend was the only thing she could do.

_Malvolia's weapon is good for mid and close ranged attacks, while mine is only useful for long distance. If this keeps up, I'll just drain my own energy and I'm done for! _

Yotsuba focused her strength at her feet and heaped backwards, making the distance between her and Malvolia further. Once she set her foot down on the icy pool she fired at Malvolia. Even when she slipped a little bit, she was at least able to wound Malvolia on the leg. But it wasn't because Yotsuba was skilled with the gun. It was because the lowering temperature was getting to the both of them. A thin layer of ice could be seen on both of their skins if looked closely, and this clearly made Malvolia's action a little stiff.

Malvolia chuckled as her blood trickled down her leg. "Too bad, little brat! You didn't kill me with the last shot, you won't be able to kill me now!"

"What do you mean?" Yotsuba growled.

"You can't fool me," she smirked. "I can tell that your fingers probably can't move anymore!"

She was telling the truth. Ice formed even faster on the body of Yotsuba's gun, and that ice stuck to her already-stiff fingers. If she tried to tear off the gun from her hand, her skin would probably be torn also.

----------

"What's wrong, Tsuna? You don't look too well," said Yamamoto as he noticed the uneasy look on Tsuna's face. "I'm sure Yotsuba-chan will be able to think of something!"

"It's not that…" Tsuna said as his brows furrowed together. "Don't you guys think Yotsuba-chan seems a little different lately?"

"Different? I don't see it," said Gokudera.

"Whatever it is, I don't like it," Tsuna said worriedly, "It kind of scares me…"

Gokudera and Yamamoto looked at Tsuna, not understanding what Tsuna was seeing that they don't see. Tsuna continued to stare at Yotsuba through the screen. Her black eyes reflected the red color of the blood spilled.

----------

Yotsuba took another leap away from Malvolia. She was at a disadvantage right now; she could not shoot quick enough because of her frostbitten hands, and Malvolia has claws that are attached to her hands already. Malvolia charged toward her, ready to win instantly. Yotsuba jumped in the air, remembering that she would have no chance of winning if she only defended. She kicked out her left leg, aiming at Malvolia's head. Surprised at the unexpected attack, Malvolia pulled her claws back to defend her head.

_Ow! _Thought Yotsuba as her leg made contact with Malvolia's claws.

"You're pretty dumb for not keeping a distance away!" Malvolia smirked. "You know that close-range battles are my specialty!"

The smirk on Malvolia's face suddenly disappeared. She looked down to see Yotsuba's icy cold gun against her own stomach. She looked back up to glare at the young girl, who showed her a smirk similar to her own.

"But being in close-range also means that I can't miss!" Yotsuba said coldly as she fired. She hissed as the ice pulled on her skin, making her hand bleed a little.

But it was nothing compared to Malvolia. Her whole body jerked backwards from the strong push of the shot. Blood splashed out from where the bullet went, and landed on Yotsuba's cheeks. To Yotsuba's surprise, Malvolia's blood was actually warm like anyone else's. However, just that split second of her mind wandering off, Malvolia was behind her. Yotsuba tried to jump out of the way, but Malvolia was still able to slash her back.

"Stupid brat!" Malvolia howled. "You're in just as much danger as your advantage when you're in close-range with me!"

_She's mad. _Yotsuba thought as she felt her own burning blood run down her back. Before she could take her mind off the pain on her back, Malvolia came at her again, jumping into the air. In less than a second, Malvolia's knee made contact with Yotsuba's cheek. Yotsuba almost made a 360 degree turn from the power of the kick; when she got up; blood was running down her nose. As she wiped her nose something clicked in her head. All the while, Malvolia threw down some more punches.

"Don't think this is over, brat!" Malvolia growled. "I'm gonna make this a slow and painful dead for you!"

As Malvolia slashed down her claws again, Yotsuba's two hands shot out. With a swift movement, Malvolia's attack was diverted away. Malvolia was shocked for an instant as her balance was changed. When she looked back, Yotsuba stood up shakily and put her left hand to her mouth. Ripping her skin with her teeth, a gush of blood ran down her arm. Malvolia raised an eyebrow.

"With my blood like this, my hand wouldn't be frozen for a while," Yotsuba said quietly and dangerously. Malvolia widened her eyes at the revelation.

In that split second, Yotsuba ripped the black gun from her right hand, pulling out her skin while doing so, and held it in her left. Not thinking further, she shot Malvolia five times in a row. The blue-haired woman's body jerked away with the bullets. Two on the shoulder, one on the stomach, and two more on the legs. Malvolia's body fell to the ground. She glared hard at Yotsuba, not believing that she had lost.

"I cannot believe this…" said Malvolia with hatred, "Kill me. I'd rather die than live in shame."

"You don't have to ask twice," said Yotsuba coldly, pointing the gun at Malvolia's forehead.

"Stop!!" Tsuna's voice came shouting from the speakers. Yotsuba turned her head abruptly toward the screen that showed her friends' worried faces. "Don't kill her, Yotsuba-chan!"

"What are you talking about?!" Yotsuba shouted back. "I'm about to win, Tsuna-kun! She deserved this for killing all those people!"

"I don't want you to kill, Yotsuba-chan!" Tsuna shouted, almost in a pleading way. "I don't want any one of us to become killers!"

Yotsuba hesitated, lowering her gun a bit. Malvolia smirked while seeing this. At this rate, the two of them both are done for.

"The time is running out," the Cervello announced. "the next time that the temperature lowers, they would both freeze to death."

"What?! No!" Tsuna panicked.

_I have no more time… sorry, Tsuna-kun! I have to do this… for the Vongola and for you! _Yotsuba thought. Raising her gun again, she was ready to end it all.

"No! Don't do it, please! Yotsuba-chan!" the pleading voice of Tsuna pounded on Yotsuba's eardrums. She frowned, hesitating once again. Her heartbeat beating faster than each second that passed by; if it weren't so cold, she would be drenched in sweat.

_What do I do?_ she felt like tears were going to fall down. She could feel Xanxus's eyes on her, waiting for her to do something.

"_Listen, Yotsuba. You cannot use the white gun with the intent to kill."_ Iemitsu's voice appeared in Yotsuba's head.

_But what does that mean? What am I supposed to do? I don't want to kill her… I just want everything to be over! I want to be back by Tsuna-kun's side! _

"Three minutes before the temperature changes," the Cervello announced again.

Yotsuba shut her eyes; a drop of tear was squeezed out. She pulled out the white gun from inside her jacket and pulled the trigger. When she opened her eyes again, everything in front of her eyes was white. And then the white faded; a healed, woundless Malvolia appeared in front of her. She widened her eyes, and so did Malvolia, who checked all of the places on her body that should be wounded.

Malvolia started to laugh uncontrollably. "You fool! Now you've healed me, and you're still the same from before! It's my victory now!"

Yotsuba stepped back. But as Malvolia stood up, she stopped all of a sudden. A horrified expression appeared on the blue-haired woman's face. She lifted her claws slowly and shakily.

"What happened to me?" she muttered. "I don't remember… I can't remember… I can't remember how to fight!"

Everyone was shocked to hear what she said. All except for Reborn, who smirked at the situation in front of them. "This is the power of Yotsuba's guns—Alpha and Omega. Omega, the black gun, is used solely for attacking the enemy. And Alpha, the white gun, destroys all powers belonging to the enemy. Although, the Alpha rarely produces bullets for the user to use."

"What?!" Malvolia bellowed. "This is ridiculous! Give it back to me! My life… I cannot live without fighting, killing… it's the only thing I can do!"

But Yotsuba could not hear a word that Malvolia was saying. She was still shocked about what happened with Alpha and Omega.

"Always at the core of danger, the white snow that falls down from the sky that covers the vast land… sets everything for a new start," said Reborn, "that's the role of the Guardian of Snow."

"Since the Snow Guardian of Varia is no longer able to fight, the winner of this battle is Mikami Yotsuba!" the Cervello announced.

As the Cervello's voice faded, the doors to the indoor pool opened. Tsuna and the others rushed in and ran beside Malvolia. Dino, who ran in without his subordinates, slipped and fell on the ice. Yamamoto and Ryohei patted Yotsuba on the back happily. Gokudera muttered congratulations under his breath.

"Wow, it's so cold in here!" Yamamoto said. "Yotsuba-chan, you're incredible for lasting so long in here!"

"Maybe because I spent some time in the Himalayas last year…" Yotsuba said tiredly. She looked up as Tsuna approached her; his eyes seemed a bit red. Yet, he still smiled at her.

"It's great that you're all right, Yotsuba-chan!"

Yotsuba blushed. "Sorry, Tsuna-kun… for worrying you back there."

"It's okay, Yotsuba-chan! If you really killed that Varia person back there, then you're probably not the real Yotsuba-chan, right?" Tsuna said laughing.

Yotsuba smiled. Before she could say anything, Reborn kicked the back of her head. She stumbled out of the cold room and into the warmth.

"Quit the reunion and get your hands treated! Shamal should be happy to do it!"

Everything was back to normal. Yotsuba was more than thankful for Alpha, for granting her wish. Even the cold glare Malvolia was giving her didn't stop her from almost skipping toward Shamal. As she was within reach of the doctor, who in her blurry eyes held a snowy white towel, she almost instantly fell into slumber. And then it was warmth that surrounded her.

----------

TBC.

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A/N: Finally it's done! This is my last update before school starts… so please be nice if I don't update for a while! I'll try every week, but I can't guarantee it (because I'm still quite uninspired)! Lastly, please review!


	35. Mist, Part 1

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 35: Mist, Part 1**

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Yotsuba even whispered Mukuro's name when she went to sleep. She didn't exactly know why, but she felt like she needed to tell him the news that she'd won. A part of her wanted to prove to him that she's different from when they met. Another part of her just wanted to talk to him. It was clear, when Reborn explained the role of the Snow Guardian, that her destiny was exactly how she imagined it. "Always in the core of danger," for some reason, she wasn't as scared about this fact as she thought she'd be. Her father also went through the same things and his road lead to death. Whether or not he got to protect the things she treasured, she did not know. All she knows is that she'd done the best she could tonight.

A light green field appeared in front of Yotsuba's eyes when she next opened them. The soft leaves of the clovers caressed Yotsuba's legs. It was funny, really. All she felt was the comfort that surrounded her instead of the pain she should be feeling from her gashes and wounds. Maybe because she was in her dream, but if that really was the case, then she's been talking to an imaginary Mukuro for the past months. The clover field today feels strangely fresh and moist. Subconsciously, she raised her hand in front of her and moved it about in the foggy air.

"You're crueler than I'd imagined, little clover."

Mukuro's voice sounded from behind Yotsuba. She didn't jump in surprise or turn around abruptly. With all these encounters with this strange man, Yotsuba seemed to be quite used to Mukuro's sudden appearances. She merely turned around to face the man who held an eerie smirk. The blank expression on her face told him to explain his words just a second ago.

"What you did to Malvolia was torture, and you know it. Wiping out her ability to fight is like destroying a human's instinct to protect his or herself. You think you did a good thing for her, but she'd probably feel a lot better if you just shot her in the head."

Mukuro's cold words were carved into Yotsuba's mind one by one. She looked at him. His blue hair looked damp in the mist, and his red eye shimmered with the humidity in the air. The red eye was still as dark as ever; sucking in all the light of the day, and reflecting nothing but darkness. Yotsuba knew exactly what he was getting at. She lightly tightened her fingers together; the feeling of the body of Alpha and Omega still remained in her palms. She'd let Malvolia live on with nothing to live for. Yet what she held in her other hand, Omega, could've been savior for the fallen woman.

If she'd killed Malvolia, then maybe she wouldn't be as miserable as she is now.

_Yotsuba… this man… has figured you out completely._

So then, she smiled.

"Ne, Mukuro, there's no point in telling me those things," said Yotsuba, tilting her head in an innocent way. "Because more than that woman, I'd really like to wipe out _your_ abilities."

_Ridding of the Six Reincarnations, ridding of your ability to take over Tsuna's body. Your revenge toward the Mafioso would be completely destroyed. Would that make you miserable? Would you choose death instead of a new start?_

Hearing Yotsuba's words, Mukuro was not surprised or angry. He merely tilted his head like she did, and thought for a little bit. And then he smiled, like a child who was praised by someone else.

"Kufufufu… is that so?"

She stood there staring at him. His expression showed no change in his heart. His eyes were still the same as aways—hollow and dark.

"And what do you think Malvolia is doing right now? You think she is enjoying the new life that you've granted her?"

Yotsuba did not answer. Mukuro smiled even wider and raised his index finger. Yotsuba watched as his index finger drew a clean, straight line across his throat. That line seemed to make Yotsuba's heart bleed. Dead—Malvolia was dead.

"She killed herself after the Varia left her," Mukuro explained.

Yotsuba looked down at her feet. Murder. Killing. Compassion. Kindness. For all the years in her life, she'd been relying on the people around her. Something like "fighting for survival" wasn't anything she could understand. In fact, she'd forgotten where she is in the world. What she'd tried so hard to protect was the exact thing that caused all the bloodshed. And yet what she couldn't leave behind, she has completely let go of.

_And what you are hinted at, do you think that I don't know? The cruelty of the Mafioso… the cruel things that I've done… but is it better than what it is now to kill her with my own hands?_

"It's my selfishness," Yotsuba mumbled, not just to Mukuro. "No one can say that they know what real justice is. In fact, the more we think about it, the more confused we'll be. I just know that I have to do things according to my instinct, do what I'm destined to do, no matter how cruel things may seem. I wouldn't know if anyone prefers to be dead than alive; I just know that I don't want to destroy the possibilities of the future. You can call me weak, and you can call me naïve, but… I only want…"

_I don't want to lose anyone around me…_

Step by step, Yotsuba walked in front of Mukuro. She knew that it was silly saying those things to a man who has experienced the Six Reincarnations. He stood before her, like a king, and she was the fool.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised at all that you'd say such heartless words," the corners of Mukuro's mouth rose to a perfect curve. The smile did not taunt, yet it had a tint of acceptance.

Yotsuba copied his smile. "I just did what I thought was right…"

"Kufufufu… that's right," he relaxed his shoulders and put both hands into his pockets. "I wouldn't kill out of compassion—we're both quite similar on that point, minus the opposite circumstances."

Yotsuba understood him completely.

----------

The two of them walked quietly through the clover field; both had soft, strange smiles on their faces. The bright green color of this place suddenly seemed a bit lonely. Yotsuba remembered the first time that she'd seen this place, and how astonished it was. Over time, it became a somewhat comforting place. There was no pain, just the soft touch of the clovers. Maybe if she'd stayed here long enough, she'd become numb to everything else in world.

_And if Mukuro stayed in the water jail long enough, what kind of person would be become?_

At this moment, Mukuro opened his mouth to speak. "Yotsuba…"

"Hm?"

"The world of Mafioso that you'd imagined was very different, wasn't it?"

He asked casually, each of his footsteps were as light as feather.

"……I guess so."

"And how do you feel about it?" he continued. "Seeing the differences in between two worlds, how do you feel about it?"

"The difference between two worlds?" asked Yotsuba. "You know… even if it's the same world, there will always be differences."

Mukuro stopped in his track and looked at Yotsuba as she continued.

"The carefree life that I've lived after The Ninth has rescued me and the battles we're facing right now are, obviously, totally different. Xanxus is also different now. So is this place. And so are my companions that I fight for. I cannot say whether one or the other is better, but the people that I love will always be the same."

Yotsuba switched her gaze toward Mukuro, her black eyes shining brightly. "Tell me, Mukuro, how do _you_ feel about it?"

Mukuro stared back at the girl. Something was moving in his heart, but he only smiled. "There's something you've forgotten, little clover. I don't fight for anyone but myself."

As expected, the girl's brows furrowed. Clearly she was angry with Mukuro's words, and she took a few steps forward, meaning to leave. "Oh, right, I forgot. You don't even care about your own companions' health when it comes to your ambition! The Battle of the Mist is tonight; I hope that the Mist Guardian is an a lot more pleasant person than you!"

Mukuro chuckled behind her. "Well, then, go on ahead and find out."

Just for what he'd said, Yotsuba took even longer strides away from Mukuro. To leave coolly and show him only her back, she even pointed her chin upward. _Don't look back; don't look back; don't you dare look back at him!_

In the end, she still looked.

Standing in the mist and the clovers, Mukuro did not even move his feet. With his hands in his pockets, he stared at her retrieving figure calmly. In that instant, Yotsuba wanted to stop walking. Stop walking and just look at him, look at him standing steadily there as if he owned this place. His red eyes shimmered like a jewel found after digging through layers and layers of earth. And the red eyes said the words "Rokudou Mukuro."

But it might just be her illusion, because she's sleeping after all.

So Yotsuba turned back around and continued on her track. But somehow she felt the Mukuro's gaze on her back. His warmthless gaze held tightly onto her, never loosened for a second. And just like that, she walked until she woke up to the bright sunlight.

----------

"Squalo is not dead."

"Eh?"

Yotsuba's head perked up suddenly at Dino's words. She hadn't really been paying attention to her visitor's talking up until now. Dino sighed with a small smile.

"Finally. Something seemed to be on your mind," said Dino soothingly, "I knew how close you and Squalo were. And hopefully that's good news for you, so you can take your off whatever is bothering you."

"Where is he right now?" Yotsuba pursued on, quite anxiously.

Dino stopped. "Were you not listening to me? After what I've done for you, all you care about is where Squalo is?"

"Dino!"

"All right! I was only joking!" Dino put up his hands. "He's being treated at a hospital right now. It wouldn't be convenient to visit him yet."

Yotsuba opened her mouth to say more, but realizing that there's nothing she could do, she let out the big breath that she held and sunk into her chair. "Sorry, Dino, and thanks. For saving Squalo."

"It's no big deal," Dino smiled. "I knew it would hurt you bad if Squalo was killed."

Yotsuba turned her head away, too ashamed to tell Dino that Squalo's death was not what was bothering her. She also wanted to slap herself for forgetting about Squalo's death in such a short time. Maybe she'd never accepted the fact that Squalo _can_ be dead. But what was bothering her was that she could not tear her eyes off the blue-haired boy in her dream. Why is it that she wants to see deeper and deeper into his eyes?

----------

She would've never guessed that their next encounter would be so soon. Yotsuba, along with Tsuna and the others, arrived at the school gym at night for the next battle. No one knew who the Guardian of Mist is. Even more so, no one expected to see a girl who resembled Rokudou Mukuro just a little bit too much to show up bearing the Ring of Mist.

"Chrome?" Yotsuba gasped as the scrawny girl approached them, earning herself strange glances from her friends.

"Yotsuba-san, we meet again," Chrome responded to Yotsuba's surprise with a slight nod.

"Yotsuba-chan, do you know her?"

"Ah? Well, yes," said Yotsuba, "I sort of bumped into her a few days ago…"

"Stupid woman! Can't you tell it's obvious that this girl is possessed by that bastard Mukuro?!" Gokudera, being his distrustful self, was the first to raise suspicion. He stood in front of Tsuna, holding up his bombs while yelling at Yotsuba. Yotsuba raised an eyebrow at Gokudera's opinion about Mukuro, but then she realized that she had nothing to defend him with. And why would she want to defend him anyway?

Chrome's little eyebrows scrunched up together, looking quite bothered by Gokudera's words. "It seems that you don't believe me…"

"Of course not!" Gokudera bellowed. "Just look at her weapon, Juudaime! And that weird hairstyle… and the eye patch on that shady eye!"

"Don't talk about a girl so rudely, barbarian-kun…" Yotsuba said darkly.

"What?! Why are you on her side?! You were possessed by that bastard during the Kokuyou incident too, weren't you?!"

"Stop it, you two!" Tsuna stepped in just in time. "Besides, she's… not Rokudou Mukuro…"

Gokudera and Yotsuba turned their heads toward Tsuna in astonishment. Tsuna seemed to be confused by what he said as well. He had no evidence that Chrome was not Mukuro, but somehow his intuition just tells him that she was not Mukuro. Yotsuba was also surprised by Tsuna's words. How does he know?

"Do… do you really think so?" Gokudera asked.

"Um… yeah, for some reason…" Tsuna stuttered, not knowing why he thought that way.

Chrome perked up at Tsuna's action. "You spoke up for me…"

The scrawny girl walked up to Tsuna slowly. Before Tsuna could comprehend what was going on, Chrome already placed her soft lips onto Tsuna's cheek. "Thank you, Boss."

"EHHH?!" A shade of red suddenly spread all out on Tsuna's face.

"WHAA--?!" Gokudera also exclaimed at this scene.

"Ehh… lucky…" Yotsuba muttered. "How nice… being kissed by a cute girl…"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Gokudera shouted.

"Greeting."

"Don't joke around! Get away from Juudaime!" Gokudera acted as if he was going to kill the girl. Yamamoto had to pull him back from the back to stop him.

And in the midst of the entire ruckus, the atmosphere was brought down to a more casual level. And so was Yotsuba's mood. But the battle was yet to start, and Yotsuba was undoubtedly worried about it. How strong Chrome was, she didn't know. But what she knows is that if Mukuro was to appear, there would be quite a commotion. Not to mention that it's quite hard, even for Mukuro, to keep up the illusion when using Chrome's body.

"Let's make a huddle!" suggested Ryohei loudly.

"I don't need that kind of thing," Chrome said as she turned around and walked toward the middle where Mammon stood. "I'm going."

"What's wrong with her?" Ryohei asked.

"Seems like she's in a bad mood," said Yamamoto, unsure of himself.

"Chrome," Yotsuba said, "don't risk yourself."

Chrome turned her head back just a little bit. "Thank you, Yotsuba-san."

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TBC.

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A/N: Hey guys! School is wearing me out! I really have no privacy when I want to work on this story because I have two roommates… but I've done my best. It would've been a really long chapter if I didn't separate it into two parts. I just wanted to update as soon as possible so you guys won't have to wait that long. Anypoo, please enjoy this chapter while I continue my fight against writer's block and school! And lastly, please review!


	36. Mist, Part 2

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 36: Mist, Part 2**

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_This isn't good!_

The temperature in the gym suddenly dropped to the same level as what it had been during the Battle of Snow. Ice formed quickly from below Chrome's feet and soon traveled up to her thighs. The illusion of the giant snake, the illusion of the bursting fire, and the ice that can even freeze the fire—everything was too real for Tsuna and the others to comprehend. Chrome was stronger than Yotsuba had expected; however, going against an Arcobaleno might just be too quick for her. Yotsuba was amazed, though, at how strong Chrome's will is as she quickly propped herself up after being thrown across the room. Mammon, on the other hand, noticed another detail.

"It seems as though that weapon is important to you," Mammon pointed out, after seeing Chrome tightly grasping the trident.

At that moment, Chrome's expression distinctively changed. As the yellow pacifier which hung around Mammon's neck lit up, the trident also shattered in Chrome's hands. Chrome's eyes suddenly turned lifeless, and she started to cough up blood as well. A few seconds later, she collapsed to the floor.

"Chrome!" Yotsuba shouted, turning toward Ken and Chikusa. "What's going on? What's happening to her?!"

"Oi! Look at that!" Ryohei pointed at the unconscious girl.

Yotsuba looked back and saw the unnatural way that Chrome's abdomen sunk in. The first thing that she told herself was that she was only seeing illusions. However, even Mammon confessed that it was not an illusion, and even he was confused. Chrome could barely move or speak on the floor; sounds of "Mu…sama" were the only thing audible.

"It's hard to believe, but…" Mammon said, "It seems like this girls is only able to live through an illusionary organ."

"Illusionary?!" Tsuna yelled. "Then… does that mean this girl doesn't have internal organs in reality?!"

Suddenly, it clicked in Yotsuba's head. All form of manipulation needs some sort of medium. Back in that time when Mukuro tried to possess Tsuna, the medium was the blood that was drawn from the person's body. This time, the medium was Chrome's organ. The girl must've lost her organ somewhere in her life before. It's surprising to Yotsuba that Mukuro would actually save a girl's life, but it also bothered her that he would use a weak girl like Chrome to his advantage.

As Chrome's breathing gradually became weaker and weaker, a fog started to surround her body. Everyone looked to Tsuna's side as he grasped the sides of his head.

"He's coming! Rokudou Mukuro is coming!"

Just as Tsuna said, Chrome's body was transformed through the fog. The tiny hands of Chrome were replaced by Mukuro's big, gloved hands. The watery round eyes of Chrome were changed into Mukuro's cold blue one. And nonetheless, the red eye was glimmering as ever without the eye patch that Chrome once wore. And there he stood; Rokudou Mukuro, so real that it cannot an illusion, chuckling his eerie laugh, bringing the world into darkness.

----------

"Mukuro… he's alive!"

"Kufufu… it's been a while. I've come back."

The exchange of words between Tsuna and Mukuro became a sort of echo behind Yotsuba's head. Looking at Mukuro, in his solid being, standing there in front of Mammon, he looked more real than all the previous times that she's seen him. Mammon, not convinced that he is the actual Mukuro, tries to freeze him up with ice once again. However, even with his whole body constrained with ice, the eerie chuckle of Mukuro was still heard.

"What?! What is this?!" Mammon could not believe what was happening. Hundreds of lotus flowers emerged and their stems tightened fast around Mammon's body.

It was illusions after illusions. Everything was getting too hard for Tsuna and the others to understand. Mammon was finally able to break away from the lotus flowers by cloning, but Yotsuba saw the smirk on Mukuro's face. It's too much, she knew. The gap between Mukuro and Mammon was too much, even if Mammon is an Arcobaleno.

_Because he's a man that's been through the Six Reincarnations…_

Mukuro raised his weapon, and the room started to crumble, shake, and deform. At that moment, it seems that Mukuro has released his true power. Yotsuba felt like she was falling off the earth even though she was standing on the ground like everybody else. Then, a splitting headache started from her temples and took over her brain. The shouting of her friends became mere echoes in the back of her head. As she made out that they were shouting the names of Tsuna and herself, she looked to their side and found Tsuna grabbing the sides of his head, also in pain like she is.

And then her vision was smeared.

----------

It was that feeling again—the feeling of weightless suffocation. She remembered it very well; the place that the real Mukuro is right now, she is there again. When she opened her eyes, however, she saw a dark forest.

"Mukuro-sama! Our pursuers are…"

"It's impossible! We can't escape!"

Yotsuba looked to the side where the voices came from. They were Ken and Chikusa, and behind them was Mukuro, all in their prison uniforms. Mukuro had his usual smirk on, but Yotsuba could tell that he was exhausted. The barely visible frown on his face gave Yotsuba a bad feeling.

"Let's split up and escape our own ways," Mukuro said, "I can manage to do something on my own. But if you guys tagged along, it would be a burden."

So then, believing Mukuro's words, Ken and Chikusa left. Yotsuba waited for Mukuro to run his own way as well, but he did not move from his place. Silence engulfed the forest, and then the heavy air pressed down on them. The Vindice was here; Mukuro didn't get the chance to escape. Thick chains were locked at his neck and Yotsuba could only watch as he was taken away. She couldn't see the expression on his face as he disappeared in front of her.

"You are truly the mastermind, Rokudou Mukuro," the Vindice taunted him.

At that moment, Yotsuba started to cry. Anger, sorrow, and a strange feeling inside her heart whenever she sees Mukuro, all formed into hot tears and burned her eyes as they fell into the streams on her cheeks.

_He stayed behind so the others could escape…_

The image appeared—the image of Mukuro constrained in the water jail.

_Mukuro… I didn't know…_

_It's not fair… it's not fair…_

_Mukuro…_

_Mukuro…_

_I will save you from that place… definitely…_

Yotsuba's vision returned to normal in that instant along with Tsuna's. There were beautiful lotus flowers everywhere, and the room started to collapse. With no standing ground, everyone seemed to fall. But she felt it, the stems of the lotus flowers that kept her balance. Then she looked at Mukuro, who smiled at all of this—at the collapsing reality, the fall of the Arcobaleno, and lovely eyes of the girl who watched him.

"This is my world," Mukuro declared to no one in particular.

And then it was over. Mammon managed to escape from the eyes of Xanxus. And Mukuro was the winner. But instead of coming back to his companions' side with the Vongola Ring, he approached Xanxus with a sly smile.

"I have no intention of poking my nose into your business, Xanxus, because I'm not such a nice human being," Mukuro said. "Just one thing though: the other candidate for the successor, though smaller and weaker than you… is not really someone you should trifle with, for your own good."

Xanxus looked into Mukuro's cursed eye with his own red ones, seemingly unmoved by Mukuro's words, but his eyes surely has gotten more fierce. Seeing this as an opportuniry, Mukuro continued.

"My, my, you really are the dark side of the mafia, aren't you?" Mukuro faked a scared expression. "Now I know why my little clover cries so much for you… I wouldn't be surprised if you were violent toward her!"

"Mukuro!" Yotsuba stopped Mukuro from continuing.

Everyone turned their heads toward the girl. The tears on her face still haven't dried, and her cheeks were red as if she'd been holding her breath. It was just the right time when Yotsuba stopped Mukuro; Xanxus eyes definitely looked furious. However, it all just made Mukuro more amused. With that, he moved away from Xanxus and walked toward the girl.

"Mukuro…"

"Kufufu… don't you look like a lost little kitten," Mukuro said as he placed his gloved hand onto Yotsuba's wet cheek, wiping the sorrowful water as he spoke. But just as he moved his hand to the other cheek, another force pulled his hand away.

Gokudera glared daggers at Mukuro, holding his wrist so tightly it seemed like he was trying to break Mukuro's bones. "How dare you show your face here, bastard?!"

"Kufufu… don't get me wrong," smirked Mukuro, "the reason why I became the Guardian of Mist is so that I can easily possess Sawada Tsunayoshi's body again!"

"What?!"

_He's lying, _Tsuna thought as he remembered what he'd seen just a while ago… and the way the Yotsuba looked at him. _It's not just about that…_

"I knew it!" Gokudera growled. "You basta--!"

"Wait, Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna stepped in the front. "In any case, Mukuro, thank you…"

Mukuro only smiled. Then, his body gave out from the fatigue. And as his body fell to the floor, it changed back to that of Chrome's. Yotsuba took a step forward and caught the frail girl's body before her head could hit the floor. Checking that Chrome's internal organs were back, she sighed in relief.

"Let's go, Ken," Chikusa said, heading out of the gym first, followed by Ken.

"Wait! You're just going to leave her here?!" Tsuna asked.

Ken turned back and eyed him coldly. "She can walk back on her own. Besides, it's not like she's the real Mukuro-sama anyway."

_That's right… the real Mukuro is still in that cold and pitch-black place…_

Yotsuba stood to her feet, carrying Chrome on her back. She turned to Tsuna. "Tsuna-kun…"

"Stupid woman! What are you---?!"

"Yotsuba-chan," Tsuna spoke, "I don't exactly know what the relationship between you and Mukuro is, but it's obvious that you know more about him than I do. No matter how much bad thing he's done, he helped us tonight, so… I'll leave him to you, Yotsuba-chan, please take care of Chrome."

Yotsuba smiled in assurance. "Thank you, Tsuna-kun."

----------

"Ken? Chikusa?"

Chrome opened her eyes to a familiar view of the Kokuyou Center. She sat up slowly, turning her head around to find her companions, but the only person present was the raven-haired girl that her Mukuro-sama cared so much about. Yotsuba smiled at Chrome and helped her sit up straight.

"Those two are looking out outside," Yotsuba told her gently. "They were very protective of you, you know? They threw such a big fit when they saw me carrying you here."

"Yotsuba-san carried me here?" Chrome's eyes widened. "Sorry… to cause you trouble!"

"It's nothing! You're an important person to Mukuro after all…"

Chrome's cheeks sudden turned red as a tomato. Her eyes shifted down to her fingers, which were timidly rubbing against each other. "Mukuro-sama… is he an important person to Yotsuba-san?"

Yotsuba was a little taken back by the question. "Important? Hmm… I guess you can say so. I mean, it seems like we are quite similar…"

_I wouldn't kill out of compassion—we're both quite similar on that point, minus the opposite circumstances._

"How about you, Chrome? What is Mukuro to you?"

Chrome's cheeks were still flushed as Yotsuba asked the question. Although the frail girl did not have a smile or anything, Yotsuba could tell that she was happy. For being able to help Mukuro in anyway, this girl was happy.

"Mukuro-sama is… a very, very important person to me."

Yotsuba smiled at the expected answer. She understood exactly how Chrome felt. The need to be needed, she understood it better than anyone else.

----------

TBC.

---------

A/N: Finally it's done! I've always liked Chrome's character a lot. It's really hard to put Yotsuba's feeling into words; it only makes sense in my head, but I'm trying my best! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

"


	37. The Color in Between

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 37: The Color in Between**

*This chapter is entirely in Yotsuba's POV.

----------

_Not until recently have I realized that there is a time in this world called "gray". _

_It stands in the middle of black and white, love and hate, hope and despair, justice and evil. Right there in the middle of it all, and the worst thing is that it blurs the line that separates the two ends. It's an awkward space. In that place, there is no such thing as absolute, and naturally things never last forever. _

_I know that this way of living is shameful, and I know clearly that this is the place where I stand right now. Not hating and not loving, not happy nor sad, even when the brother of mine who caused it all stands right before me, I still don't feel a bit of hatred. After being confused for so long, my mind is wiped blank now. _

_Gray, the color in between… Losing the ground that I should be standing on… it's always so gloomy, but the rain just wouldn't fall. _

_Since when… did I start living this way?_

----------

I surprised myself a little that I am standing in front of this place—the Reception Room. Firstly, it was just meant to be a little visit before the Battle of the Cloud, to see if he was ready. But now that I'm standing here, I find it somewhat hard to turn the handle. It's hard to believe that when I first met Kyouya, he was such a superior being and I could no talk to him straight in the face. But days passed and several things happened. My mind led me to the days that we patrolled together, the days that he fought with me every day after school, the day at the Summer Festival, and the night under the fireworks.

Of course I haven't forgotten the night that Hibari Kyouya took my first kiss, but I've been so distracted by other things that I haven't thought about it much. But I haven't been able to see him since then, and now that I'm approaching him after such a while, I don't know how to face him. What am I to Hibari Kyouya? And what is he to me?

For a second there my hand did not listen to me. I twisted the handle quickly and the door was opened. Feeling like I cannot turn back now, I pushed the door quietly and entered the room. And there he was, sleeping on the couch soundly. Just like how he is, not nervous at all about the battle tonight. Knowing that Kyouya is a light sleeper, I tiptoed to the couch that he slept on, and slid down behind it, resting my own eyes. The night that he kissed me, the feeling of his lips, I'd already forgotten how it felt. If Kyouya really loved me, if he really has the ability to, do I love him back?

Love… is not it, is it? Rather than love… it's…

"Herbivore, you woke me up."

Startled by the low voice that suddenly appeared next to my ear; I jumped up and turned around to see Kyouya's somewhat annoyed face.

"Kyouya!" I put up both hands in front of me, "Sorry! I didn't know I made a sound!"

Kyouya stared at me menacingly, something I haven't seen in such a long time. "Your heartbeat was too loud."

I gave him a sarcastic smile. It's just like him to say something like that. And to be honest, I kinda missed his cruel ways with people. Even if it meant that he was going to bite me to death. "The battle to night… it seems like you're ready, aren't you? Gola Mosca seems like an emotionless robot; it won't be easy defeating him!"

"Emotionless or not, I just have to bite him to death."

"Don't talk like you don't have any feelings!" I frowned. "Don't you think having emotions is a precious thing? Loving someone with your life, or hating someone with your life, isn't that what living is? Talking like that… wouldn't you just be another Gola Mosca?"

Kyouya's answer delayed for a few seconds. "Emotions might get into the way."

"You're talking about surviving, not living!"

"So you're saying that—unless I love someone to death or hate someone to death, I'm not living?"

The corners of Kyouya's mouth curved up into a smirk. I hadn't realized that we were standing so close together. I already knew that talking to Kyouya was a difficult task, but sometimes after you think about it more, the things that Kyouya says actually makes some sense. In some ways, Kyouya is like Mukuro. Kyouya's image has always been drenched in all black; his hair, his eyes, and the aura that emits from him. But when you look closer, there is a bit of brightness shining through the clouds that hides him.

"So… who is the one that you love? Who is the one that you hate?"

Who is the one that I love…?

That kind of question… I already know the answer to.

"Kyouya, have you ever had something that you'd give your life to protect?"

Silence filled the room. I looked into Kyouya's eyes closely; so closely that I can see the exact line the separated the black and the white. Not until I finally looked away from his eyes did he answer my question.

"If I have to give my life for it, then it's not important enough."

_Pop. _It was like a needle that popped a balloon. All of a sudden I feel like I can finally breath normally again. That's right. Hibari Kyouya—he is at a completely different level from me from the very start. He is a predator; the proud lion that rules Namimori. If something cannot protect itself, then it's not worth his attention. And I am the deer, the one being pursued, and I'll always be one. I cannot be strong like Kyouya, and the only thing I can do for my loved ones is to give all of myself.

Since I'd been thinking to myself, Kyouya had started to approach me. And when I snapped out of it, he was already so close to me. So close that I can almost feel his breath on my face. But before he could advance even more, I stopped him. "Kyouya, what am I to you?"

Kyouya stopped abruptly, not expecting this kind of question from me. But surprisingly, he smirked, baring his fangs.

"You're my prey."

I gave him a smile.

"Then you must know that… preys will always try to run away."

With that said, I pushed Kyouya lightly away, ignoring the slightly surprised look on his face, and ran out of the room.

Because that's how it is, isn't it? Kyouya and I are in completely different levels. Kyouya is a person that can see the black and whites clearly, and he's not blinded by anything. That's why he can live so freely, that's why he can be the Cloud Guardian. Kyouya, more than love, is a person I desire to be, but I will never be him. Because I know that I'll be in this gray place for a long time; maybe I'll never get out, but because I can see Kyouya clearly on the other side, I will always be walking towards him.

And it is at this gloomy, but special, place that I realized that I've fallen for that man. In this same gray place, he's also trapped as I am, but he dominates it fearlessly. And he is the man that, even now, holds my hand with his gaze as I find my way out. I've fallen for this man.

I've fallen for Rokudou Mukuro, who holds my hand in this place, this color in between.

----------

Gola Mosca was beaten down with one strike. Everyone was surprised, even me, but I'm sure that all of us expected something crazy from Kyouya in the beginning anyway. Just as I expected, Kyouya wasn't interested in the Vongola Ring even a bit. Instead, he pointed his tonfa straight at Niisama after tossing the Ring of Cloud aside.

"I'm not going anywhere until I beat you to death," he said threateningly.

Niisama scrutinized Kyouya for a while, and then smirked. With a heap, Niisama was up in the air. And when he came down with his foot toward Kyouya's head, Kyouya was able to block the attack with his tonfa. Kyouya is amazing; even in the face of the strongest man in my world, he didn't cower. But Niisama did not do any further. Instead, he jumped off Kyouya's tonfa and landed a few feet away, still smirking.

"Oops," Niisama said, "My foot slipped."

"Right," Kyouya said coolly.

"No, really." Niisama said, with laughter in his voice, "I only came to collect that piece of junk."

Gola Mosca's body exploded and went on fire as Niisama said this. All of a sudden I have a sick feeling in my stomach. I cannot grasp what this feeling is about. At that moment, a yellow beam shot out from where Gola Mosca was and hit Kyouya's thigh. With the blood gushing out of the wound, Kyouya knelt to the ground.

"What the heck was that?!" Sasagawa-senpai shouted.

The whole place was fogged with smoke, I looked around to find my friend's whereabouts and found them still next to me. And I looked aside to see that Ken and Chigusa were still around Chrome, so she was safe as well. But what is this uneasy feeling inside me?

Gola Mosca was going berserk; flying everywhere and shooting down the whole school. If it continues, all of us are going to die! It notices Chrome, Ken, and Chigusa near the field, and it aimed its weapon at the three of them. However, a bright orange flame blocked the attack for them. We all looked to where the flame came from—it was Tsuna, except he didn't look like the usual Tsuna at all. This one seemed more calm and… powerful.

The situation turned into a fight between Tsuna and Gola Mosca. Clearly, Tsuna was winning. He dislocated the arms of Gola Mosca, and with his flamed first, he punched a hole through Gola Mosca's armor. I looked toward Niisama, but he still had that smile on his face, and it's making me feel very, very scared for some reason. As Tsuna sliced the armor apart into halves, my heartbeat only beat faster and faster.

And out of the broken Gola Mosca rolled a lifeless man. With a blood-soaked hole on his shirt where his chest must be, and his hands banded behind him. A face that I loved dearly and treasured with my life……

…_Dad? _

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: Finally I finished another chapter! It's short, but it felt right to stop there. In this chapter Yotsuba finally figures out her own self and her feelings toward Mukuro, thanks for Hibari, surprisingly! Though not love, Hibari is still an important person to Yotsuba. And as of the next chapter, the Varia Arc is finally coming to an end. I'm estimating about four to five more chapters. One bad news is that I might have to put the story on Hiatus, because the Future Arc is moving so slowly for the manga. But I have most of the plot ready (unless something weird happens again in the manga) so I'll update you guys on that soon! Please review!


	38. The Roaring Sky

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 37: The Roaring Sky**

Yotsuba could not fool herself anymore. Her heart seemed to fall out as Timoteo's body dropped from Gola Mosca's armor. Her father—the man who brought her out of the darkest time of her life—was now lifelessly lying in the dirt, and the person to blame was right there in front of her. She ran to Tsuna's side and held onto The Ninth's shoulders; she felt as if she was going to cry. How stupid she was to have always believed in Xanxus, thinking that there must be something she's missing; there must be something she doesn't understand. But now, he has gone too far. Even if Xanxus is her brother, there is no more hesitation. Yotsuba is truly angry.

"Xanxus!!" Yotsuba shrieked. The man's smirk dropped from his face as he slowly glanced at the girl who had just called his name with such anger. The girl's eyebrows furrowed into tight knots and words were barely made out through her grinded teeth. "What… did you do to The Ninth?"

It was the first time that he'd heard her call him by his name since Timoteo officially adopted her. She had always been the only one who spoke freely in his presence, but she had never shouted angrily at him before. He smirked once again; how would she react if she realized that the kind of wrath they both emit is what made them seem like a true brother and sister. "What? Have your eyes gone bad?" he said, "isn't it clearly shown in front of you? That this piece of trash has gone and killed The Ninth!"

Tsuna's pupils dilated and his whole body shook from the shock. "I've… I've killed the Ninth Boss?"

"Don't listen to him, Tsuna-kun!" shouted Yotsuba.

Xanxus raised an eyebrow. "Who was it? Who was it that struck down the old man without mercy?"

It was as if veins could be seen at Yotsuba's temples; the grasp of Yotsuba's hands on Timoteo's shoulders tightened. She watched as Tsuna's knees give out and became powerless. His breathing became fast and weak; sweat drops were falling furiously. "Tsuna-kun! Get a hold of yourself! Everything… everything is done by Xan—"

"No, Yotsuba…"

Yotsuba jerked her head toward the voice that had spoken. Timoteo has finally opened his eyes, and he smiled weakly up at her. She felt her stomach drop, and her throat felt like it was stuck with something dry and hard. _Why… are you still smiling like this?_

"The one at fault… is me…" said Timoteo with a hoarse voice.

"N…Ninth?!" Tsuna gasped, rushing closer to the old man. Timoteo looked up slowly at the worried boy. "We finally get to meet, young Tsunayoshi…"

Yotsuba pressed on. "What are you talking about, Ninth?! How can you be the one at fault?!"

Timoteo turned his gaze away, breathing hard. "I'm sorry… it's my fault. All of this happened because of my weakness… my weakness that… allowed Xanxus to wake from his long sleep…"

Yotsuba was silenced. Eight years ago… the cradle affair… she was taken away for her safety. When it was over, Xanxus was cast out and was under strict surveillance. She was only able to see him for a few times. What really happened?

"Tsunayoshi…" Timoteo continued with Tsuna, "I've always heard news about you from Reborn. About your school, the girl you like, and your friends… you are a child with a heart that is mismatched with the world of the Mafioso. I also know that you've never fought a battle willingly." He lifted his shaky and withered finger up to Tsuna's forehead. "You always have these lines between your eyebrows… clenched your fists as if you're praying… that is why I chose you to become the next-in-line for Vongola's leader."

As Timoteo's speech ended, Tsuna felt a warm sensation at his forehead where the old man touched him. The Dying Will flame was lit from the old man's touch; Tsuna suddenly felt very nostalgic. He remembered—he knew this man! In the days when he was only a little boy, the old man had always held him gently and smiled at him warmly. Tsuna could feel tears well up in his eyes.

The flame was going out slowly, and yet the old man turned to Yotsuba. "Ninth! Please take it easy; don't waste your breath anymore!" said Yotsuba, grabbing his hand that was reaching for her.

"Yotsuba…" said Timoteo despite her plead, "I'm sorry to have brought you back into the world of the Mafioso. I never thought about the terrible things you might go through, and selfishly thought that adopting you would be what your father wished for. For all these years I've never played the role of a normal father to you, and yet right now, I still hoped that you could forget about your destiny… and call me Dad for just once…"

Timoteo's eyes closed up slowly as his speech ended. Yotsuba felt tear drops on her trembling hands, but when she wiped her cheeks she could not find any trace of tears on them. Those had been Tsuna's tears. As she watched Tsuna stand up with regretful eyes, she grabbed her chest from the pain she was feeling. It was so painful—so painful that she could not even cry.

"Xanxus…" said Tsuna shakily, "I'm going to take back the ring. And make sure that you are not made the next boss of Vongola!"

And then it was decided—the Sky Battle is going to be held the next night at the same time as always. Xanxus and the rest of Varia departed without one more look at Yotsuba. But even then, Yotsuba could not take her eyes off Timoteo's hand limply rested in hers. "Yotsuba-chan," Tsuna whispered, "Are you all right?"

Yotsuba did not answer; she only lifted up her head and stared at Tsuna with dark eyes. Tsuna felt, at that moment, that Yotsuba's soul might've fallen asleep. Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Ryohei ran at top speed to where they were. However, the girl did not budge from Gokudera's shaking, Yamamoto's calling, or Ryohei's loud shouting. Until Dino and his men arrived and sent The Ninth hurriedly to the hospital did Yotsuba's pupils move about.

"Yocchan," Dino called softly, "everything will be all right. The Ninth is not dead. He's being sent to a hospital with the best facilities right now. Everything will be all right."

Yotsuba looked up at Dino slowly as he helped her to her feet. Dino's words were like a comfortable lullaby to her. "Dino… I can't hold on anymore…" she said in a barely audible voice.

Dino smiled, "You've done your best, Yocchan."

Yotsuba thought a drop of tear might've fallen, but her limbs fell powerless before she could tell. "Tsuna, I'm going to take her home…" she heard Dino say faintly before black consumed her vision.

----------

"You knew that The Ninth was in Gola Mosca all this time."

Yotsuba said, not looking at the man in front of her, but at the fresh green of the clovers. Mukuro had neither a smile nor a frown on his face. He watched the girl fiddle with the leaves around her. He said amusingly, "You're not mad?"

She shook her head. "Even if you'd told me, there wouldn't have been a difference."

There was a silence between them.

"Now that I put my thoughts together, it makes sense." Yotsuba continued with a sad smile. "The day that I left the Vongola Headquarters, Xanxus came to see me off, you know? I don't know how he found about my plans, but I spotted him right before I boarded the plane. I thought he was looking out for me, but he wasn't. He was making sure that I was gone for sure, because I would definitely stop him with my life if I was there when he forced The Ninth into Gola Mosca's armor."

"Do you hate him?" he asked.

Pause. "…No." she closed her eyes. "I can't. I can't. That's why I'm so frustrated! The Ninth is the most important person to me!"

"Is he?" he asked. "Is he a father to you?"

Yotsuba did not answer. _I haven't called him 'dad' since the battle between Malvolia and me. When did things change? _

"Neither of them are your blood relatives," Mukuro said. "Is the old man a father to you? Is Xanxus a brother to you?"

_No. They're not. But because of that, they're even more precious. _

_ Because…_

----------

Tsuna and Xanxus were fighting intensely in the sky. Yotsuba could barely see the images of the fight as she lied on her stomach on the floors of the indoor pool. The poison has been injected in every guardian. And with a body like hers, the poison spread even faster throughout her veins. But for some reason, Yotsuba wasn't worried about her body at all. Her fists tightened to the voices heard through the window.

_Tsuna-kun… please save Xanxus… _

All of a sudden, the door burst open with a loud boom. Yotsuba could see through her blurry eyes, the shiny strands of Gokudera's silver hair though the layers of smoke. "Gokudera-kun?"

Gokudera walked through the smoke, carrying an unconscious Lambo in one of his arms. "Stupid woman, you have no opponent, yet you can't get out of this yourself?"

Yotsuba watched as Gokudera retrieved the Ring of Snow and knelt down in front of her. "I know you're traumatized about what happened to The Ninth and all, but get a hold of yourself! You can't call yourself a guardian if you can't fight for Juudaime!" said Gokudera as he roughly shoved the ring at the transmitter on Yotsuba's wrist. A wave of relief suddenly washed over her body.

"Gokudera-kun," she whispered, "if Bianchi-san did something horrible, would you ever start hating her?"

Gokudera stared at Yotsuba wide-eyed for a while. Then, all Yotsuba felt was pain on her stomach and herself thrown into the pool. The water cooled her body temperature down and made her swim for the air. Yotsuba came out of the water and gasped, "Gokudera-kun, you--!"

"I think the poison got to your head!" said Gokudera before she could finish her sentence. "What kind of dumb ass would go hating their family?! Stay in there until you get some sense back into your head. And look after this stupid cow while I go save the others!"

It was Yotsuba's turn to stare wide-eyed at Gokudera as he ran out of the room. A faint smile was formed at her lips. With a splash, she got out of the pool and held Lambo in her arms. _I was never smart compared to you, Gokudera-kun._

----------

When Yotsuba got out of the indoor pool with Lambo in her hands, the battle was at its highest point. Gokudera and Yamamoto have gone to save Chrome from Belphegor and Mammon. Yotsuba gasped when she saw Xanxus's face—his old scars have resurfaced and his eyes were bloodshot with anger. The look in his eyes told her that he intended to kill Tsuna without holding anything back. Yotsuba gasped again when she saw the person that Dino has brought along.

"Squalo!"

The bandaged man looked toward her and looked away. It was his way of telling her to watch Xanxus; watch him as his fury takes over the power of Vongola.

Xanxus's hands were clasped with Tsuna's. Tsuna was trying to receive Xanxus's flames, but the flames were so powerful that it caused an explosion. Smoke clouded the sky instantly. Yotsuba and the others waited to see a silhouette coming out of the smoke. Desperation dawned upon them as they saw Xanxus's smiling face as the smoke cleared.

"Look at his hands," said Reborn.

"Impossible!" Squalo exclaimed as everyone saw the ice formed on Xanxus's flaming hands. "This kind of phenomenon… it's the same as that time!"

Xanxus was enraged. Tsuna has achieved the Zero Point Breakthrough that the first boss of Vongola had used. Yotsuba stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, as Xanxus released all of his power and as Tsuna froze all of his body. The result was clear—Tsuna has won. But Yotsuba felt as if she was going to throw up. As Squalo retold the story of what happened during the Cradle Affair, Yotsuba slowly stepped toward Xanxus's frozen body. No one noticed her except for Tsuna, who only watched her silently.

Her fingers rested softy on the icy surface, and she looked into Xanxus's eyes that were still in their angered state. _Why haven't you told me anything, Niichan? When you were suffering and all alone, why haven't you told me anything?_

"Wait! This is not the end!"

Belphegor's voice came from the inside of the school and everyone raised their heads. He and Mammon ran toward Xanxus's frozen body with the Vongola Rings in their possession. "The position of Vongola Decimo belongs to Xanxus," Mammon said as he held out the Vongola Rings in front of Xanxus.

Yotsuba stepped away as burning hot flames, emitted by the Vongola Rings, surrounded Xanxus's body. Tsuna's Zero Point Breakthrough was being destroyed. As the ice melted, Xanxus's body fell to the ground.

"Give me… the ring…" said Xanxus.

"Of course," said Belphegor as he knelt down next to Xanxus. "The Vongola Rings are rightfully yours."

As the ring was put onto Xanxus's finger, Xanxus's body was full of power. Yotsuba watched in horror as she felt an extremely bad foreboding in her mind. And just as she thought it was too late, Xanxus suddenly collapsed on the floor. Blood spewed out from his throat and several wounds on his body. The ring has rejected Xanxus's blood.

"That's right," Xanxus said between coughs, "That old man and I have no blood relations whatsoever…"

"Xanxus…" murmured Tsuna.

"Don't fucking pity me!" Xanxus roared, blood dripping down through the corners of his lips. "None of you understand anything!"

Yotsuba felt water again at the walls of her eyes.

"I understood!" Squalo shouted. "I know everything!"

"Then say it!"

"……You were born in the squatters, but you were gifted with the flame since birth," said Squalo. "When your mother saw that flame, she became delusional that you were the lovechild of the affair between The Ninth and herself… The Ninth adopted you and told you that you were his real son. And that was a lie. You were enraged by the fact that you were never accepted as the next successor."

Xanxus was silent for a minute, and smiled sadistically, "all crap."

"You betrayed The Ninth, yet he didn't kill you." Tsuna struggled to stand up. "Even until the end, hasn't he always treated you with acceptance?"

"The boss has always treated you… as his own son—"

"SHUT UP!!" Xanxus shouted. "Don't make me sick with that unconditional love crap! What is the use of that?! The only thing I wanted was the seat of the boss! I only wanted those scumbags to worship me! I only—"

Blood spewed out of his mouth once again. "Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!"

Belphegor and Mammon were ready to take on his order. At the same time, Tsuna's guardians have also gathered at the front line, ready to fight. But everything was already too late. Varia's backup troops were destroyed by Lanchia, who has come to repay the debt of Tsuna. In this situation, even Belphegor and Mammon have to surrender.

Xanxus glared at his men in distaste. "All of you are useless. ALL OF YOU… I CURSE YOU ALL TO DEATH!!"

"STOP IT!" exclaimed Yotsuba, who has been quiet all this time. "Isn't it enough, Xanxus? Everything's over!"

Xanxus stared at Yotsuba. Teardrops were falling onto his face; Yotsuba was crying, and she held onto his shoulders as she cried.

"You know how much Dad cared for us all this time! I… I've never deserved to be loved like that, or to have met you and Dad! You say that unconditional love is crap, but that was what you have given me! So, Niichan, just stop and return to how you were before! Please!"

Yotsuba sobbed at Xanxus's side. He stared at her silently for while, and let out a long sigh. He wiped her tears off his face slowly. "You've never changed, Yotsuba. You're always going to be this naïve little child…"

_Just the way I want you to be…_

"Niichan…" Yotsuba kissed Xanxus's forehead. "Let's go home…"

Xanxus closed his eyes to the warmth at his forehead. Everything was over.

----------

TBC.

----------

A/N: It's finally over! I was hoping that it'd be really dramatic, but after I read it over it's a bit anti-climatic eh? I hope it's not too bad. Next chapter will be my first time diving into Xanxus's mind for a bit. Wish me luck, Xanxus is quite a stubborn character. And lastly, please review!


	39. Mia Sorella

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 39: Cara Sorella**

As reading this chapter, please listen to "Tsuyu wo Suu Gun" from Mushishi OST.

---------------

"Xanxus! How—how did you make those flames in your hands?!"

"This is… unbelievable! Xanxus, you might be…"

"He's our son, Timoteo! Look at this flame!"

"You believe me, don't you? There's no mistake… Xanxus carries your blood!"

The old man looked at me with unreadable eyes. Something told me that there's always something more to what this man says. But at that time, I foolishly believed every single word from his mouth.

"Yes, Xanxus, you are my son."

---------------

Ever since my life changed from the squatters to the Vongola Headquarters, I grew up with power; everyone feared me. It was something I've never tasted before. I loved the pathetic looks of the people who worshipped me. And that was how I was perceived. Always cold and emotionless with everyone, never a smile on my face. Just like that. I never tried to understand anyone before me, because they don't understand me. I never thought of anyone as a friend, never bonded with them, never saw them clearly, never tried to look into their heart. Because they don't know anything about me.

I never tried to think about for what reason did these people decide to join the Mafioso. For money? Power? The excitement of murder?—those are only selfishness.

They would never understand…the importance of my _pride_.

Yes, my pride. Born from the squatters, but yielding royal blood in actuality. I was the successor to the seat of the boss. And I was the only rightful person. Having started out with nothing at all, no one else can compare with what I've achieved. No one else has enough power, enough ambition, to become the boss other than me.

That was my pride. Until…

"Hey!"

Never had I been addressed with such a rude tone.

"How rude! You're supposed to help me up!"

That rainy day when I met her, I didn't realize that she was going to change everything. For a young girl, she had enough fierceness in her eyes to match his. Her iron-black eyes were so cold that they were almost hot. They way that she shouted nonsense at him showed her desperation, desire, and her courage.

"Stupid woman! That's what you get for leaving me! That's what you get!"

She was merely six years old. I didn't think that children could show such madness in their eyes. Whether it was rain or tears pouring down her cheeks, I didn't know. But for the first time since I've become the son of the ninth boss of Vogola, I felt threatened by someone else's fury.

---------------

The day after that, the old man adopted the little trash—her name is Yotsuba. She was a spoiled one, and she was eccentric, that's for sure. Most of the things she says don't make sense. Someone like me and someone like her couldn't have gotten along at first.

"Niichan! Give me a hug-hug!" she held out her arms like a bear, smiling in the most idiotic way I've ever seen.

I shoved her away. In fact, I shoved her away many times. She was astonished, probably because no one else dared to push her away. It was amusing to see her eyes darken and watch her walk away while murmuring dangerous words. I saw through her façade ever since the first day that she started living here. She would manipulate the ones who loved her, like the Chiavorrone trash, and act as sweet as honey to the other people with power, like me.

"Young Lady, it's almost Christmas."

The old butler said to the little trash as he brushed her hair gently. It was the day of the big Christmas Party at the Vongola estate. In other words, a get-together for all of those with power in the world of Mafioso; an event where people smiled falsely and used fake courtesy toward everyone. I was already done with my preparations, and I sat at the couch in the little trash's room to wait for her. I always had to appear with the little trash in these kinds of parties.

"Christmas?" repeated the little trash, removing the eyes from the book that she was reading and placing them on the old butler's reflection in the mirror.

"Yes. Aren't you excited, Young Lady?" the old butler asked cheerfully. "All the children are looking forward to this day! Not only do they have break from school, they also receive Santa Claus's presents!"

"Santa Claus is just a lie to get children to be nice," the little trash smiled despite the content of what she's saying. "It's just a trick with parents buying the presents at first, and eating the cookies while dressing like Santa Claus."

The old butler's smile dropped a little, and he sighed. "……Young Lady, sometimes I think that your mind has grown a little bit too much."

"You think so?"

"Yes," the old butler continued, "if your mind would grow as a normal child, I think it would be healthier for your heart."

"Healthier, maybe," the little trash laughed. "but not necessarily better, yes?"

I looked around the room, and my eyes landed where they always have—the old picture of the little trash and her parents. It was not until a year later after knowing her that I found out about what happened with her parents. Because of that, the little trash has always been thinking differently from other kids. At times like this, the little trash is like me. Her anger towards her parents, and also her regret.

I studied the woman in the picture. The blackness of her eyes were the exact same with the little trash's. At that time, it was I who announced her death to the little trash, without even knowing. The woman was weak. Giving all of her life just so the little trash can leave the world of Mafioso once and for all.

And my mother. Giving all of her life so that I can gain power from this world.

------------------

"Ah! Niichan!" she called me with surprise in her voice. Sitting there in the big tree like she usually did; I knew she had fighting lessons during this time. "Niichan, you can't tell Dad about this, okay?"

She jumped down from the tree, standing in front of me with a smile on her face. I punched her. Hard in the face. And she stumbled back a few steps from the force. She turned back to look at me with angry eyes, tears provoked by pain. "What was that for?"

"Now you know better than to ditch class."

She looked down with guilt in her eyes. "What do I need to know how to fight for? There are people who will protect me here. And when there isn't, I'll accept whatever happens to me. No one…needs to sacrifice themselves for me."

I stared at her dark eyes. I didn't need anyone to tell me that the little trash is different from ordinary children. I knew since the first day… that _we_ are different from the other fools in this world.

"Don't think highly of yourself," I said coldly. "Your parents are dead. There's no one that's going to sacrifice for you."

She glared at me furiously at the mention of her parents.

"You fight to protect your pride. You said so on the day that we met—your name is Mikami Yotsuba—isn't that right? you said it proudly, now can you really defend it?"

Ever since that day, the little trash went to her Aikidou lessons every day. In addition to that, she trained with me. There were more and more bruises on her each day; I was merciless during our sparring sessions. I didn't understand what I was really doing back then. Not until a few years later did I realized that I was making her grow into another "me." A new different "me."

* * *

"Hey, that kid Xanxus found out…"

"He found out? How?"

"Said he read it in Ninth's diary."

"That poor kid… he must be heartbroken…"

I wasn't heartbroken. Somewhere in my mind, I already knew something like this was going to happen. I was furious. The old man promised me something that he never really meant. The seat of the boss belongs to me. Even if I was born from the squatters, I've proven myself with power that I rightfully belong in that seat. The life that I've lived, the things I had gone through, I've done everything to prove myself the strongest man under the name of Vongola. Yet, a no-name Japanese scum is going to be the successor? Bullshit.

On that day I furiously destroyed my room and everywhere I went to. Butlers and maids that tried to stop me were seriously wounded. Even the guards around were beaten half to death. The old man was nowhere to be found. He was probably running away from me; I would've probably killed him if I saw him in that state.

I drank and drank until I passed out. And somewhere during the night, I ended up with a high fever. Even then, I beat up the people who tried to come into my room to "help me."

I had completely forgotten about the little trash, until she came to my room.

"Niichan," she said nervously while carrying a plate of food and medicine. "The maid outside was all bruised up so I decided to take this for her. I heard you were drinking and didn't eat anything at all, and now you have a fever."

"Get the fuck out." I said, burying my face in the pillow.

She was silent. All I heard was her putting the plate down on the table and sat down on a chair after pulling it back on its legs. And then, she said in a barely audible voice, "I understand…"

I raised my head and glared at her. "Understand? What do you understand, trash?!"

At that moment, I was too angry to notice. But now that I remember, the look on her face was completely torn.

"I'm the same, you know?" she said. "My father didn't want to have anything to do with me. Neither did my mother. All because of the mafia… but I'm still here right now, because The Ninth loves me like his own daughter."

I scoffed, turning my back toward her. I felt her small hand touch my shoulder. I was either too tired or too drunk to throw her across the room.

"Even if you don't think of me as your sister, Niichan, I'll love you. For everything you've done for me."

Ever since that day, my words to the little trash were less and less. She has noticed, too, but acted indifferently about it. I knew that it bothered her, but at that time all I thought about was how to make my point clear to the old man. I met Squalo, and became the boss of the Varia. There I gathered even more trashes, and planned the rebellion. The little trash had sensed something weird going on, and pestered the other Varia members about it. I had anticipated that scum Squalo to tell her, but he didn't in the end.

On the day of the rebellion, I did not see the little trash at all. I never really thought about…what might've happened if I did see the little trash on that day.

* * *

The next and last time that I saw the little trash was when I was being held and under strict surveillance somewhere in the Vongola headquarters. The little trash was allowed to see me for just five minutes. It was for once and once only. And it was that five minutes that made me realize…why I haven't killed her for all this time that we've been with each other.

"Niichan!" I heard her gasp when she saw my face. "Are you all right?"

I scoffed. "Do I look all right?"

My face was covered with scars of what's left after the battle between the old man and me. I stretched a little, moving my fingers that were a bit numb.

"About you and the Varia's rebellion…" she started, "Why… I couldn't stop you guys…" she lowered her head. Her voice sounded as if she was crying. It annoyed me.

"Shut up, you trash!!"

"I'm sorry…if I'd known what you were planning…I could've done something," she sobbed. "If I had the ability…I would've helped you…I wouldn't have left you alone for all this time…"

"I SAID, SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

I jumped to the bars that constrained me and reached out a hand to grab the little trash's collar. She choked with her tears by my sudden action. I could hear commotion outside; the guards were trying to come in but the trash locked the door to the chamber. "What the hell could you have done, huh? What do you understand about me, you scum?"

"You were there with me since the very beginning," she whispered.

Before I could say anything else, the guards broke into the room. Shocked by what they were seeing, they hurried broke the two of us apart. One guard shoved me back into the cell with the tip of his rifle. The other one pulled the little trash away. Even then, she still had the sad look in her eyes.

"I'm going to Japan, Niichan. I'll see for myself, if Sawada Tsunayoshi is fit for the seat of the boss." And the door was shut.

I never realized, until then, how similar the two of us are. We were all human beings driven by desire. My desire for power, and her desire for love. Maybe if I hadn't met her on that day, she wouldn't have the will to live. Yet as I watched her grow, she was more than just a weak little girl. Having been bloodstained since such a young age, she wasn't the very least normal. She has already accepted that humanity's evil and corruption, and decided that she'll live among it. Even at the Battle of the Snow, I saw the terror in her eyes that she's holding a weapon that can destroy other people's lives, but she was ready to do so for that little scum. And yet, with all of the ugliness of the world within her, she is still desperately latched on to the very dim light of innocence.

I watched her suffer; I watched her struggle. I've watched her done things that she hated doing. And all this time, she kept holding on, even when it's quickly slipping away from her grasp.

I was watching her grow into "me." A "me" that is still holding on. And at this point, I cannot watch myself like that anymore.

I have to grab on and not let her fall.

And that is my pride.

* * *

"Boss! Oi, boss!"

I looked irritatingly at the voice who called me. Ah, that sum Squalo. I can't believe that he's still alive. Though he's still bandaged like a mummy, he is able to walk now. Too bad those sharks weren't hungry.

"Isn't that little brat going back with us?" his loud voice is really annoying. "She's late!"

Really, too bad. I hate it when this scum keep blabbering about the little trash. What kind of man is he to fall for a little trash like that?

"She's spending her last minute with the Japanese trashes. Just wait, the plane isn't until two hours."

The scum looked at me with a weird look. "Was that my illusion or did you just say something nice about that brat?"

"It was your illusion, trash."

The door bell rang followed by the sound of the door opening. And then the idiot prince's voice. "Princess is here!"

"Sorry that I'm late!" the little trash rushed into the room with a ridiculous smile on her face. Her cheeks were red and she looked dazed. Whatever. I don't want to know what happened at the party. Then, she noticed what I was drinking and frowned.

"Niichan, you shouldn't be drinking when you're recovering from your wounds!" she scolded.

"Ooooii, brat! What were you doing?! You face is—"

"Ahhhh! It's so hot today! I'm going to take a shower before we leave!"

With that said, she rushed into the bathroom, leaving the scum dumbfounded outside. I tossed the cup of sake aside. I hate the taste of sake, anyway. I still prefer vodka.

"Trash, go get me some vodka."

"WHAT?!" the scum shouted. "YOU EXPECT ME TO GET YOU VODKA NOW?!"

"You have an hour. Go."

"I hope you get alcohol poisoned."

He slammed the door shut. I'm surrounded by such idiots.

* * *

TBC.

* * *

A/N: Xanxus-OOCness! But then if Xanxus wasn't OOC in this chapter, then my whole story up til now wouldn't have made sense. Anyway, hope you all liked this chapter! Happy Thanksgiving to my readers in the U.S.! I hope everybody will take some time to be thankful for their family, even if quietly in your mind. Thanks, everyone, for reading my story up til now!


	40. The Promise

**In Their Story, There was a Girl**

**Chapter 40: The Promise**

_As reading this chapter, please listen to "Cry No More" by Fukuhara Miho._

* * *

It's been such a long way, but we made it through. It seemed like just yesterday that I fought with Malvolia and discovered the power of Alpha and Omega. It feels a bit surreal, but I cannot hide the overall happiness that came out from all of what had happened. On the day of the Battle of the Sky, I returned to the hotel where they stayed (and I stayed for a couple of days) after Niichan has finally gave up. It was a weird feeling: tending to Niichan's wounds and listening to Squalo's nagging and watching Bel and Mammon fight over trivial things. I guess you can call that nostalgia. It has only been a little bit over a year, but it felt like centuries ago when I could talk comfortably with Niichan and the Varia.

"So what's your plan now?" asked Squalo.

"What do you mean?" I asked him back as I tightened the bandage on Niichan's arm. "I said 'let's go home,' so I'm going back to Italy with you guys."

All of a sudden, the room became quiet. Squalo, Bel, Lussuria, and Levi were all looking at me with strange expressions.

"You're going back with us?" asked Squalo, again. "You're not going to stay with those little brats here? I thought you preferred them over us!"

I laughed. "I don't prefer anyone over anyone. It's just that…I haven't been with you guys for a long time, and I feel happy when I'm with all of you. Plus, I'm worried about The Ninth, also. So I want to stay In Italy for a while until everything is back to normal."

Silence was what answered me. Oh, and also Squalo's dumbfounded face. I looked toward Niichan, who has been quiet for a while, and as we made eye contact he turned to Squalo.

"What are you waiting for? Get me another plane ticket."

"Ooooiiiii! Why is it always me?!"

"Aha—n! I can't wait to go shopping with Yocchan again!"

"Shishishi…Prince can play with Princess again!"

"You still owe me the milk money."

And that was how it went down. I'm going back home.

* * *

On the next day, I was dragged by Kyoko-chan and Haru-chan to Yamamoto-kun's family's sushi restaurant. It was a celebration for Lambo who just got out of the hospital, but clearly it was a party to celebrate the Tsuna's victory. Did I mention that they put me into this white fluffy dress? I don't understand why these two girls always have to put me in fancy girls whenever they dragged me somewhere. But it was a good feeling, though, being able to talk and laugh like a normal girl again with Kyoko-chan and Haru-chan.

Yamamoto-kun, Gokudera-kun, Sasagawa-senpai, and the rest of the people that live in Tsuna's house were already there. Everyone looked so happy, but I was actually a bit nervous. I didn't really want to tell Yamamoto-kun and especially Gokudera-kun that I'm going back to Italy tonight. Gokudera-kun probably wouldn't approve for me to hang out with the Varia ever again, but I understand his reasoning.

"Yo! Yotsuba!" Yamamoto waved when he saw me at the door. He looked a bit taken back by my attire, but returned to his bright smile again. "You look nice today!"

"Thank you," I said. He had taken off the eye patch on his right eye; it seemed fully healed. "It's good that your eye is all better again!"

"Yeah, thanks!" he said cheerfully, hand reaching up to touch his eye gently. "Tsuna's mafia game is really something. It's dangerous and all but I loved playing with you all!"

"Is that so? I'm happy that you were there to play with us, too."

It felt kind of incredible. To be able to talk truthfully like this. I was always cautious with everyone. Even to my old butler. The only person who didn't fall for my act was Niichan, but he's never said anything about my façade. I remember the day that I met Tsuna-kun and the lot. The things that I especially planned for my debut to make myself inexplicable… it's crazy now that I think about it. At that time, Yamamoto-kun said the same thing about the mafia "game". Thinking that he was quite naïve at first, but now I'm used to it. And that is the best thing, because I can finally say my words truthfully.

Throughout the whole party I felt like I was floating in the clouds. Everyone was laughing and everything was peaceful. Even Lambo's annoying outbursts didn't annoy me at all.

"Oi! Stupid woman! Stop eating sushi from my plate!" shouted Gokudera-kun.

"There's plenty more right here, Hayato," said Bianchi.

"Sushi-eating contest to the extreme!!" exclaimed Sasagawa-senpai.

"Niichan! Don't eat so much!" said Kyoko-chan.

"Lambo! You're gonna break that plate!" panicked Tsuna-kun.

"Hahi! Tsuna-san is yelling at Lambo-chan?!" screeched Haru-chan.

I laughed at their comical actions; everything is back to normal. Yet, something else is still not quite right. I looked around the room and scanned everyone's happy faces and wondered what he is doing right now. Of course, the real him couldn't be doing much, but it would be nice to see him here as well. But who am I kidding? He's not going to join us without causing a bit of commotion.

"Mikami, your mind is drifting off!" said Reborn as he jumped onto my shoulder. Tsuna, who was standing close by, heard what Reborn said and turned toward us.

"Yotsuba-chan, are you not enjoying yourself?"

"Oh, no, I am!" I answered quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly.

"You're thinking about Mukuro," Reborn said, right on the spot, "aren't you?"

I didn't answer, but the answer was obvious.

"Ah, Mukuro…" Tsuna murmured, "oh yeah…Yotsuba-chan and Mukuro are quite close somehow, right? You should go see him, Yotsuba-chan!"

It took me a while to register what Tsuna had said. "I…what?"

Tsuna smiled gently. "I just think that…if Mukuro is alone right now, it'd be good if you kept him company."

Tsuna-kun.

You are amazing.

"Good-bye, Tsuna-kun! I'll see you again in a few months!"

Tsuna-kun waved back at me with a warm smile. I wasn't wrong about the right person to be the Vongola Decimo. The warmth hooked the corners of my mouth; I smiled while my legs carried me to the place where I'd first stepped into that sanctuary of beautiful clovers.

* * *

_Cry no more_

_Spread your wings and fly so far_

_'cross the seas to distant shores_

_Always be there for you_

* * *

As I arrived at Kokuyou Center, Ken and Chikusa were already expecting me. They told me that Mukuro had known that I was coming, though I know not how. And then, Chrome entered the room timidly. I was relieved to see that she hadn't been horribly injured from all the battles we've been through. As Chrome and I settled down on the big couch, Ken and Chikusa left us.

"Mukuro-sama had been waiting."

"Chrome…" I looked at the girl apologetically. "I'm sorry that I'm sort of using you to talk with Mukuro…"

Chrome made a little smile. "You're a very important person to Mukuro-sama."

My face heated up. "Chro…"

Before I could finish my sentence, mist eroded from where Chrome was sitting, and the girl was replaced by the man I had been dying to see. There he sat, just like a real person. Maybe he is real; he is definitely real. He smiled at me, gently and mysteriously. It had occurred to me that after all this time I still haven't completely figured him out. Yet, what I feel for him…I am so sure that my heart even aches when I think about it.

"Well, this feels a bit awkward, doesn't it?" Mukuro said casually. In a second, the room was filled with fresh green clovers. "Now that feels better."

"Aren't you going to tire yourself out?"

"The first few times are always harder, but now I'm used to this body and I'm not exactly fighting you."

There was silence between us. It's actually quite embarrassing.

"I…" I paused for a while, "I wanted to talk to you, but I'm here and I don't really know what to talk about."

"Kufufufu…" he chuckled, not minding the awkwardness. "Then why don't I ask you something?"

I looked at him, hinting for him to ask the question.

"I want to know…what exactly is the world of the Mafioso in your eyes?"

Eh?

He ran a hand through his silky hair slowly. "I know I've asked you this question many times, but I've never really gotten a satisfying answer."

I've never given a satisfying answer? Well, I've answered honestly all those times, but you're just asking for too much! But still, I scratched the top of my nose and thought for an answer.

"The world of the Mafioso through my eyes…I guess it's like the saying 'to boil a frog with warm water.'"

Mukuro's expression suddenly turned blank. It's quite rare to see that kind of expression from him. "Boiled frog?"

"It's a folk saying about how if you throw a frog into boiled water, it will jump right out. But if you put the frog into a pan of warm water and gradually heat it up, the frog will doze in the water happily until it is cooked to death, without ever waking up."

Yes, we all live in that kind of world. Ever since we were born, all go through all the turmoil of growing up with our family. We stumble through the turmoil of learning different things in the hard way or easy way. We struggle through everything, even the smallest things possible. We keep falling and standing back up. For the Family, we just keep trying to make things "right" again. And believing that in the end, everything is worth it, so we foolishly let ourselves watch our muscles boil and into that meal on the table.

"…if it's that kind of world, then why do you want to live in it?"

Why?

Ah ah…haven't I answered you many times already?

Because in that world, there are people I love. So I don't mind being a frog. I believe, strongly believe, that it's worth it, even if it's worth. Maybe, one day when I get a kiss from the one I love, I can become a princess too.

I want to be with them, no matter what.

_When I close my eyes_

_I see the darkness_

_fade into a memory_

_Seen the light_

_shining so bright_

_The dawning of a better day _

"Isn't that what I should ask you? I know you were the one who asked Lanchia-san to help us during the Sky Battle. Aren't you the same as me, so to speak?"

Mukuro started to laugh, as if he'd known what I was going to say. And then he looked at me. In those eyes I could not find reflections of anything. Not even a shadow. The shallow sound of the wind could be heard in my ears, but there was something echoing loudly behind that sound. After staring into those eyes for this long, I've finally realized. It was the darkest moment before dawn.

"You and I, our standing ground are completely different," he said finally, "We've been different ever since the starting point, so I cannot answer your question."

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding. "I thought so."

"I'm a little curious. Why do you search so hard?"

He got me confused again. "Huh?"

"Why do you search so hard?" he repeated patiently. "About me. The results that you usually end up not liking, but you still keep searching."

My mind went blank for a couple of seconds. My heart felt like a pond that had just been hit by a rock. The surface was rippling, and each wave was pushing through my chest, my throat, my eyes. I did not realize that a drop of tear has fallen out of my eye until I felt the coldness down to my cheek.

"I just think that…if I searched hard enough, I might find…a bit of happiness."

Mukuro's eyes widened at my statement. It probably shocked him. Whether or not that was a smart thing to say, I could not care anymore. I cannot stop now, as the waves poured out.

"I can ask you the same thing, Mukuro. All this time you've been going into my head, challenging me with words, confusing me with strange questions. You're searching inside of me as well! You're right about how we are different and similar at some points, but I've realized that when I'm with you, I seem to be able to see a little deeper into myself. I can't believe that I'm actually saying this to you right now, but please, continue to search within me. Open every door you see, and when you finally figured out everything about me……please let me know."

Mukuro's eyes faltered. "Why?"

I smiled.

"So we can see for ourselves—why we cannot leave each other alone for all this time."

_Look up to the skies you'll realize_

_I live for all eternity_

_Take a look within your heart_

_A love for all the world to see_

Another gush of wind blew through the window. The curtain's shadow swayed to the rhythm of the wind. I noticed that quite some time has passed since we started talking. There was a short silence, and then he began to move. It had been lazy position that we'd been in on the couch, but he'd straightened up and the distance between us began to decrease.

"Maybe…this is a good idea."

I watched his enlarging face, still confused by everything he says. "Huh?"

"Open every door. Open the doors to my corrupted world. Open the door to the world where your hope exists. And open the door of the world that's not black nor white. Maybe we can see it then. I will let you know at that time."

The sun has moved to the back of him, which made his face so dark that I could not see the expression on his face. The only thing I could see was his shadow prolonging to rest on my body. But even in the darkness I could feel the warmth of his breath close to me.

"……Maybe…we can see what?"

In his calm voice, there was a hint of laughter.

"That after all the doors are opened, we'll be standing in the exact same place."

He leant down.

And slowly, his warm lips claimed mine.

A blissful feeling overcame my entire soul. I had not realized that his arms were fastened around me, and mine circled him as well. Even though it felt like my heard was going to burst, I kissed him back. I had to let him know somehow. I had to let him know that he is a part of the reason why I live so foolishly in this world. And quite frankly, I don't mind being a fool, because this happiness feels so real.

Maybe I've become a princess.

And it's just the right person right before me. Or, with me.

Rokudou Mukuro.

Il mio principe.

* * *

_Cry no more_

_I'm your eyes when sight has gone_

_Make a wish upon that star_

_I will be there for you_

* * *

TBC?

A/N: First of all, I'd like to apologize for not giving all of you a notice in the last chapter that I was going into final exam weeks and I couldn't write anything, hence the late update! But yes, it's finally over! I hope you all liked this chapter. Yotsuba and Mukuro are finally together!

Now, the reason why I put "TBC?" is because, well, the Future Arc of the manga is dragging on too slowly, and I just don't see myself writing all about it. So in any case, if this story is going to go on, it'll become very AU and some characters might not even appear. Which means I'm going to make my own ending. So depending on how many people would like to see a continuation like that, I'll be waiting in your reviews! For those people who will accept this chapter as the final chapter, I hope that you enjoyed it and thanks for your support for all this time!

Well, now it's time to say good-bye? Maybe? I'm really happy that so many people have read this story and liked it. I never thought that I'd get this many readers when I first started this story. I would cry right now, but that's just weird. Anyhow, I hope you all have a great holiday! And since this story has begun last year on the day after Christmas, Yotsuba will be turning one-year-old soon! Ha, ha!


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